Cassiopeia Explosion: Japanese Astronomer Captures Brightest Nova Yet

An astronomer recently saw a nova in the constellation Cassiopeia involving a white dwarf star sucking matter from a host star and behaving as a brilliant outburst. One could see it from somewhere in the northern hemisphere.

Yahoo News said Yuji Nakamura, a Japanese amateur astronomer, noticed something unusual while studying Cassiopeia, a well-known constellation in the northern sky, on March 18.

The constellation seemed to have a new light source. According to the Astronomer's Telegram, follow-up observations by researchers from Kyoto University and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) showed that it was a classic nova. The nova's distance from Earth is unknown at this time.

"Since we cannot predict when and in what direction novae will occur, discoveries by amateur astronomers contribute significantly to our understanding of the phenomena," the NAOJ says in a press release.

What Exactly is a Cassiopeia Nova?

A classical nova is a dazzling outburst between a white dwarf star and a companion star that appears suddenly.

The light of the nova PNV J23244760+6111140 is currently growing. It had a magnitude of 9.6 when the astronomers first saw it. But within hours, it rose to 9.1 magnitude (the brighter an object appears, the lower the number is). Binoculars can see anything with a magnitude of about 9.

According to the Central Bureau of Astronomical Telegrams, it had risen to a magnitude of 7.8 the next day. Under ideal conditions (assuming a dark sky with no light pollution), that puts it just outside the naked-eye viewing range.

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But a pair of binoculars can show the event's splendor to observers who don't have that kind of access. In the coming days, the nova would most likely brighten even further.

How to See Cassiopeia From Your Backyard

Check for the letter W in the constellation Cassiopeia with a pair of binoculars. It would appear in the northwest sky after sunset if you reside in the northern hemisphere. It will be above Polaris, the north star, and east of the Big Dipper. You can find a helpful guide to searching Cassiopeia on EarthSky.

According to Popular Astronomy, the two bright stars that form the right end of Cassiopeia's W shape point straight towards the newly discovered nova.

As far as possible, get away from the city lights. If you cannot leave the city, make your way to a high point, such as a rooftop, to watch the nova. To get your eyes used to the dark, stop looking at bright screens or some other form of bright light.

A blinding burst of light will accompany the nova.

Should We Expect the Cassiopeia Nova to Last Forever?

According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the material is being expelled from the recently detected nova at a speed of 3.6 million miles per hour.

It's difficult to say how long nova will live. It could be a couple of days, weeks, or months. The Cassiopeia nova seems to be brightening, which means it could brighten even more. However, it might vanish almost as easily, so now is a perfect moment to see the rare astronomical event in motion.