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Will KIC 9832227 go "red nova" – observable to the naked eye on Earth – by 2024?

Astronomer Larry Molner, presenting at the American Astronomical Society, boldly offered that the binary star system known as KIC 9832227 is a ticking time bomb that may have already exploded.

The "Boom Star" as Molner calls it:

will be visible as part of the constellation Cygnus, and will add a star to the recognisable Northern Cross star pattern.

Molner's hunch is based on observations of a similar system, V1309 Scorpii, that supernovaed in 2008.

Will this bold prediction come to pass?

Result is positive if independent astronomical observations confirm that KIC 9832227 has undergone an "red nova" or similar explosive event, giving it a visual magnitude of 6 or less, before January 1, 2024 (giving an extra year or so to the Molner's stated prediction)

(Edited 3/5/18) to clarify resolution criteria and nature of event.

Categories: Physical Sciences – Astrophysics and Cosmology

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