A nova is a sudden explosion of the brightest light that occurs in two—star systems. Every new young star comes from a white dwarf. A white dwarf is a very dense remnant of a star’s core—and from a nearby companion star.
Over time, the white dwarf pulls matter out of its victim, heats it up. Then there is a powerful flash, an outburst of energy, which throws out matter at the highest speed.
Usually a bright new star disappears in two weeks, rarely the time can be longer. But on June 12, 2021, astronomers recorded a new star V1674 Hercules, which flashed so brightly that it could be seen with the naked eye. A little more than a day later, she became weak again. It’s like someone turned a flashlight on and off. Previously, the fastest new star was recorded in 1991.
Every 501 seconds in V1674 Hercules, its oscillation occurs, which can be seen both in visible light waves and in X-rays.
A year has passed since its explosion and the brightness of this star continues to fluctuate.
