Last month, a star lit up in the Andromeda galaxy – a bright red nova. Red novae are a rare class of eruptive variable stars. This class of stars develops an intense red color during an eruption. It is believed that this type of stellar explosion occurs when two stars merge. Previously, a faint red dot was visible at the marked location where this nova now shines. The merger of the two stars caused the stellar material to reach critical mass on its surface, leading to a thermonuclear reaction. This “mega hydrogen bomb” does not tear the star apart, but causes it to suddenly light up massively.
Our youngest club member, 14-year-old Liam Krebs, has now recorded this explosion with a telescope from our school lab.
Photo: Liam Krebs. Text: Thomas Eversberg
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