06-28-2024, 06:54 AM
There's a decent article in Sky & Telescope about the potential nova:
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...t-to-know/
I would caution those expecting it to become as bright as the pole star, which isn't very bright, and the nova's brightness depends significantly on the event's geometry. As material falls from the red giant, it's located in one spot. That spot will keep changing as the stars orbit each other, but it is the point where the mass will become critical. If that point is on the far side of the white dwarf, we won't even see a magnitude 2 star; it will be much fainter.
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-ne...t-to-know/
I would caution those expecting it to become as bright as the pole star, which isn't very bright, and the nova's brightness depends significantly on the event's geometry. As material falls from the red giant, it's located in one spot. That spot will keep changing as the stars orbit each other, but it is the point where the mass will become critical. If that point is on the far side of the white dwarf, we won't even see a magnitude 2 star; it will be much fainter.