A new new, appearing in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, it can be seen with binoculars and small telescopes, but this the transient object will not stick for a long time. Here’s how you can spot Nova V1405 Case before it’s too late.
Amateur astronomer Yuji Nakamura from the Japanese city of Kameyama tacat the new one on March 18 at 7:10 p.m. local time and quickly reported its discovery to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). Astronomers using the Seimei Telescope at Kyoto University in Okayama Prefecture confirmed the news at 4:40 a.m. the next morning.
“This observation was carried out only half a day after the discovery, demonstrating a fruitful collaboration between astronomers and amateur researchers,” the NAOJ announced in statement. “Because we cannot predict when and in what direction new ones will occur, the discoveries of amateur astronomers contribute significantly to our understanding of the phenomena.”
Designated New V1405 Case, the object was initially detected at a magnitude of 9.6 (too weak to be seen with the unaided eye), but was significantly illuminated in the days following its discovery. Like EarthSky reports, the new one now shines around magnitude 7.6, making it visible to binoculars and small telescopes and quite possibly the unassisted eye (humans can detect celestial objects starting around magnitude 6.5, but people may be able to observe the new one without equipment if the conditions are right).
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And yes, you should try to see if you can. Novelties of this type, in which nuclear explosions cause the spectacular illumination of white dwarf stars, are frequent in the Milky Way, but new visible ones are relatively rare. One of the latest news to the naked eye, V1369 Cen, happened in 2013 and was only visible in the southern hemisphere. New V1405 Case is a transient object and it will they fade over the next few weeks and months.
EarthSky provides detailed information information on how the V1405 Case can be best detected, but very simply, you should first locate the constellation Cassiopeia, which can be seen above the horizon when looking north-northwest after the Just put it on (use a phone app like Sky Guide to help you locate celestial objects). Then, using the two lower stars of Cassiopeia, draw a line to the right “about the same distance that the two stars are separated from each other and start looking for a small star cluster known as M52.” EarthSky recommends it. From here you should be able to see the new one, which obviously won’t appear on star maps. Sky & Telescope recommended in the fall of the night or just before dawn as the best times to see the new news.
V1405 Case should not be confused with a type Ia supernova, as it is not a star that has exploded directly. This is a new classic, which includes a white dwarf and a main sequence star trapped in a close mutual orbit. The small, dense white dwarf moves hydrogen away from its mate, and this hydrogen becomes increasingly compact and hot. Eventually, nuclear fusion is triggered, making the white dwarf glow between 50,000 and 100,000 times brighter than normal. The white dwarf survives these superficial explosions and the process begins again.