Recurrent novae are repeated outbursts that happen in binary star systems containing a white dwarf and a red dwarf, subdwarf, or giant star. Locked in close quarters, the tiny, dense white dwarf collects material from its companion until the material ignites on the white dwarf’s surface and explodes into space. These systems outburst every century or so and are hypothesized to leave behind “super-remnants” that stretch to cover dozens of light-years. Though all recurrent novae are thought to create super-remnants, only two have been discovered. In advance of the highly anticipated outburst of T Coronae Borealis, Michael Shara (American Museum of Natural History) and collaborators used the Condor Array Telescope to search for a super-remnant. The team discovered a faint but distinct nebula with a hint of bilobed structure surrounding the star. In the image above, green shows Hα emission, red shows emission from singly ionized sulfur, and blue shows emission from singly ionized nitrogen. Based on the team’s calculations, the gaseous nebula is too tenuous to visibly light up when struck by photons from the next outburst, but they recommend post-outburst observations with Hubble and JWST to survey the aftermath. To learn more about the discovery of T Coronae Borealis’s super-remnant, be sure to check out the full research article linked below.
Citation
“The Newly Discovered Nova Super-Remnant Surrounding Recurrent Nova T Coronae Borealis: Will It Light Up During the Coming Eruption?” Michael M. Shara et al 2024 ApJL 977 L48. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ad991e