A Star Is About to Explode (And You'll Be Able to See It)

Have you ever wondered what happens when a star explodes? In this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson dives into the fascinating phenomenon of a star explosion in the constellation Corona Borealis, specifically focusing on the recurrent nova T Corona Borealis.

Learn about the intriguing mechanics behind these stellar events, the historical significance, and what makes this particular nova so special. Stay tuned as we also explore the differences between novas and supernovas, and what this means for our understanding of the cosmos.

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - The Life Cycle of Stars: From Birth to Death
03:15 - The White Dwarf: The Final Stage of Stellar Evolution
05:30 - Nova Events: A Prelude to Supernovae
07:22 - Exploding the Outer Surface of a Star: The White Dwarf Becomes a Supernova
07:33 - Comparing Supernovae to Novae: Brightness and Characteristics
07:44 - The Catastrophic Death of a White Dwarf vs. Nova Explosions
07:55 - Brightness of Supernovae: Visible Across the Universe
08:06 - Distance and Safety: The Nova's Impact on Earth
08:18 - Conclusion: T Corona Borealis and Its Significance

[StarTalk]

T Coronae Borealis is projected to go Nova anytime between now and September 2024.

[jesseerickson]

Exploded while ancient Egypt was up and running and we just now get to see it. Amazing.

[menorak]

'Seymour! The sky is on fire!'
'No, mother. It is just T. Coronae Borealis!'

[Truebro]

The star exploded 2, 600 years ago but we're only able to see it now? That is some insane ping, the earth needs to upgrade its wifi.

[PurdyGood]

No way, Neil you have the EXACT pattern of shirt that I have of a pillow case that my late grandmother made for me. There were about 25 of us grandkids and she would make us all pajama’s or pillow cases or sock. She would buy a pattern and material from a fabric shop, something different each year, and one year she asked what theme I’d like and I said stars and space and galaxies and she made a pillow case with the exact print you have there on your shirt. Awesome. Always have loved learning from you, my guy!

[JLWarren]

Some men just want to see the world learn.

[reitasfangirl]

8:16 - "You can sleep well at night, knowing life on Earth will not end...FROM THAT." Thank you for that laugh, definitely needed it.

[trumanhopper]

I was lucky enough to be taking an observational Astronomy class at my college when a supernova in a different galaxy exploded, and we pointed our 32 inch aperture telescope at it, and I will never forget the sense of awe in seeing the disk of a different galaxy, but then seeing ONE STAR in that gallactic disk outshining the other 2 billion stars

[helenedesmarais]

In 8 minutes, you managed to explaned SO CLEARLY the mechanics of the phenomena that now, I not only know the information but I UNDESTAND WHY. That is the mastery of a great teacher. Thank you.

[chazwx]

Some of what i like about Neil deGrasse Tyson is that he describes things in a way that the average person would understand. Also, he goes into detail and explains things such as word origins and why certain things happen. I can sit and listen to him for hours at a time.

[ROBLOXTHANOS]

Thank you for offering a free, high-quality educational service.

[alexandria]

"That's just BS, Bologna Sandwich" LOL I love that

[marymadelynevangelista]

Dude, you are awesome. I'm certified to teach all the sciences K-12 and was a teacher for deacdes. You did a tough job and made it look easy. Tonal inflection, hand gestures, historic perspective, Latin with translations, progressive outline of complex 3-D alien info, kept it from getting scary while imparting the everyday-awe, jargon described in context, casual attire to prevent info from looking intimidating, no distractions in the background (but nice guitar and books with some light), well integrated graphics, nice use of and control of the initialism (BS), etc. A tough job done well! Thank you.

[ROBLOXTHANOS]

It’s not much, but this is for your efforts to educate people in a kind and friendly way.

[ryank]

Still blows my mind a little that the things we see in sky already happened years to centuries (or more!) ago. Appreciate the way you broke this down.

[LonelySandwich]

Thank you for clarifying "bologna sandwich".

[ozramblue]

It would be cooler if the title was “a star exploded 2, 600 years ago, and you’re about to see it”.

[StarTalk]

What insights will observing T Corona Borealis provide to deepen your cosmic curiosity of stellar events?🌟

[macro_the_acro]

Coronae Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the Country?

May I see it?

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Yes!

[augustpendergast]

I had an Adjunct Professor for Diff EQ in 1987 who worked at Bell Labs in NJ. He was a Doctor of Astro Physics from University of Chicago (can’t remember his name now). He spent two classes talking about the star that went supernova. He was so excited and said it was the first one that we would be able to observe. He talked about all we would learn. Let’s keep watching and learning.