‘Zombie Star’ could light up the sky for the first time in 80 years, just in time for Halloween – here’s how to tell

A ‘zombie star’ could come back to life on Halloween night, experts say.

T Coronae Borealis, also known as the ‘Blaze Star’, is expected to explode at any moment. According to NASA, this will cause an explosion of light for the first time in 80 years that will illuminate a dead binary star system.

A binary star system is a pair of stars bound together by gravity.

The Blaze Star is a white dwarf, which is essentially a dead star. It is associated with a red giant, or a star that is in the final stages of its life.

The Blaze Star feeds on the red giant like a vampire, sucking in hydrogen and other materials through its gravity.

Eventually it eats enough material to cause a thermonuclear explosion – a result of the build-up of pressure and heat.

This happens about every eight decades and causes the star to suddenly become extremely bright.

Normally it is not visible to the naked eye. But when this explosion – or nova – ignites, it becomes as bright as the stars that make up the constellations, according to a NASA expert.

It is difficult to predict exactly when the nova will occur. But experts say it’s coming soon, and there’s a chance it could happen tonight – just in time for Halloween.

Once this zombie star rises from the dead, it will remain visible for about a week, NASA experts say.

To find it in the night sky, start by locating the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere: Arcturus and Vega.

Then follow a straight line from one to the other, a line that crosses Hercules and the Corona Borealis.

The Corona Borealis is located to the right of Hercules and is approximately halfway between Vega and Arcturus.

Look near the second star on the crown of the Corona Borealis to see where the Blaze Star should be.

This star was first noticed in 1217 when a German priest named Burchard of Ursperg “observed a faint star shining with great light for a time,” according to NASA.

The last time it was visible was in 1946.

Scientists will study the nova to learn more about what happens when stellar material is ejected from the white dwarf and spread to neighboring galaxies, NASA astrophysicist Padi Boyd said. ABC News.

That material consists of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon and other elements. Once it rockets into interplanetary space, it will be swallowed up by other stars that are forming their own solar system, Boyd said.

“This is where the material in our own solar system – on our planet, in the oceans, in our bones, in our blood – comes from stellar explosions,” she added.

This “once-in-a-lifetime” event will also inspire young astronomers to ask new questions and collect their own data, said Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in a statement.

If the nova happens tonight, it will add a festive flair to the night sky this Halloween.