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A New Star in the Night Sky in 2022 | Almanac.com

A New Star in the Night Sky in 2022

V838 Monocerotis, one example of a red nova.

Photo Credit
NASA
Bob Berman
February 23, 2018
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A star is born! If you’ve followed my column, you may recall me saying that a new star will appear in the night sky.

This is exciting space news and worth sharing with more sky watch enthusiasts.

In 2022—only a few years from now—an odd type of exploding star called a red nova will appear in our skies in 2022. 

This will be the first naked eye nova in decades. And the mechanism behind it is fascinating as well.

This story really begins 10 years ago, when astronomers closely monitored a distant star in Scorpius. This was a double star where the two components were so close together they were actually touching. What was strange is that the orbital period was rapidly decreasing, strongly indicating that the stars might actually merge. Well, it really happened. In 2008, a red nova occurred in that spot, and afterward only one star remained. The two had merged.

Five years earlier, an astronomer predicted that a Red Nova is caused by the merger of stars in a binary system—so the 2008 Scorpius event confirmed that theory. 

And now it’s happening again. An astronomy professor at a small U.S. College, along with some of his students, predicted that the double star is just off the right wing tip of Cygnus the swan. From the way the orbit is speeding up from the current 11 hours, that Midwestern astronomer predicts they will merge in the year 2022, give or take half a year. It will be another red nova.

Because this star system is 1800 light years away, which is six times closer than that Scorpius star, the nova should be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. 

Feeling the need to exaggerate, some news stories are saying it will be the brightest star in the sky. Most likely, it will be second magnitude, matching the stars of the Big Dipper. Still, this will be amazing, especially if you know enough backyard astronomy to recognize Cygnus’s shape and be excited by a new star that will extend its right wing.

(Since some news stories are saying it’s the Swan’s left wing, let me mention that yes, if you’re the swan it would be your left wing, but for us down below looking at it, it’s the wing on the right side which is the wing closest to the famous bright summer star Vega.)

We’ll watch that spot every night, especially starting four years from now!

Love stargazing? Read more:

Why do stars twinkle?

Should you name a star?

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Comments

samuel windell (not verified)

3 months 1 week ago

Sadly, apparently not this year. 2022. Search KIC 9832227. They evidently found a 12 hr discrepancy in one of the datasets used. This changed prediction.

Dawn (not verified)

4 months ago

Jan 13, 2022 my grandson and I saw two dark reddish orange forms shoot behind the trees and house across the street. I've been crazily looking things up wondering about asteroids, meteors, etc. Maybe red nova??? Crazy stuff! This was not the middle of the night either! It was just before nightfall

Granny66 (not verified)

4 months ago

It’s now Jan. 12, 2022 for some odd reason I was just thinking about stars. Maybe because I got my grandson a telescope for Christmas! He’s seven and loves everything about the orbits, so I go online and type what harm can a star do to a person, place or thing. A lot of stuff came up including this article about the Red star, I hope and pray he doesn’t miss it!! He will be able to see it really up close and personal! And take pics to show his class!! I just hope that I will be able to be there with him!

Natalia S (not verified)

5 months 1 week ago

I can't wait only being a year away from this is awesome. I do really want to know what month, week, or even day this is gong to happen. This is going to be one of the most important space happenings ever, and I'm definitely taking lots pictures and videos.