Rare periodic nova occured after 15 years in Ophiuchus constellation, you can see it with your eyes

11. 08. 2021

First reports came in on 8 August. The recurring nova RS Ophiuchi has shown itself again with 4.8 magnitude. That is much brighter than the usual magnitude 12 of this star in contellation Ophiuchus. Astronomers observe periodic novas from this binary system since 1898.

Nova RS Ophiuchi

Nova is a process that occurs in binary star systems, where one of the stars is a white dwarf. This small dense core of a dead star consumes material from its neighbor. Sometimes the material leads to termonuclear reaction, which produces bright flash.

In RS Ophiuchi system the secondary star is a red giant. First nova in this system was observed in 1898 and occurs roughly every 15-20 years.