A new ‘guest star’ will appear in the sky in 2024 − a space scientist explains how nova events work and where to look
- Written by Vahe Peroomian, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The stars aren’t fixed and unchanging, unlike what many ancient people thought. Once in a while, a star appears where there wasn’t one before, and then it fades away in a matter of days or weeks.
The earliest record of such a “guest star,” named so by ancient Chinese astronomers, is a star that suddenly appeared in skies...