An incredible "once in a lifetime" event is set to take place in the coming days as the "Blaze Star" is set to light up the night sky.

T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star, is a pair of stars located 3,000 light-years away.

This star system is a recurring nova, with Earth-visible explosions approximately every 79 to 80 years, according to NASA.

The last recorded outburst from T Coronae Borealis, which consists of a hot red giant star and a cool white dwarf star, was in 1946.

NASA predicts it will erupt again before September 2024.

Located in the Northern Crown, a horseshoe-shaped curve of stars west of the Hercules constellation, T Coronae Borealis can be observed between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus, according to NASA.

When the explosion becomes visible from Earth, "it's going to be one of the brightest stars in the sky," Louisiana State University physics and astronomy professor Bradley Schaefer told ABC News.

He encouraged the public to go outside and view the explosion as soon as it appears.

The exact day and time of the explosion are "unknown," according to Schaefer.

However, the star system's historical behavior and current "pre-eruption dip" suggest the explosion is imminent.

A pre-eruption dip, a sudden decrease in brightness experienced by some celestial objects about a year before erupting, was observed in T Coronae Borealis in March 2023, reported the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).

Typically, T Coronae Borealis is located at magnitude +10, "far too dim to see with the unaided eye," according to NASA. During the explosion, it will jump to magnitude +2.

Schaefer, who has been studying T Coronae Borealis for decades, said the chance to see the explosion with the naked eye will be "magnificent."

"It's a way of humbling ourselves for the titanic forces that are happening, fortunately, very far away, that's happening above our heads," he said, comparing the power of the explosion to a hydrogen bomb.

"It really actually is a hydrogen-fusion bomb just like in the movie Oppenheimer," Schaefer added.

The difference between nova and supernova events, according to NASA, is that in a recurring nova, the dwarf star remains intact during the explosion.

In contrast, a supernova occurs when a dying star is destroyed in one final eruption.

"There are a few recurrent novas with very short cycles, but typically, we don't often see a repeated outburst in a human lifetime, and rarely one so relatively close to our own system," Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a June press release.

T Coronae Borealis is one of just 10 recurring novas known in the Milky Way that erupt on timescales of less than a century, according to NASA.

"It's incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat," Hounsell added.

During the event, NASA says the star system will be similar in brightness to the North Star, Polaris, and may shine this bright for days or a week after first appearing.

"Typically, nova events are so faint and far away that it’s hard to clearly identify where the erupting energy is concentrated," Dr. Elizabeth Hays, chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA Goddard, said in the press release.

"This one will be really close, with a lot of eyes on it, studying the various wavelengths and hopefully giving us data to start unlocking the structure and specific processes involved. We can’t wait to get the full picture of what’s going on."

Although the exact date and time of the explosion are unknown, Hounsell says the once-in-a-lifetime event is sure to inspire the next generation of skywatchers.

Featured image credit: MARK PATERNOSTRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty

I can tell you (somewhat smugly) that I’m penning this from the safety of my bomb shelter. Admittedly, I suddenly remembered that I’d forgotten my cat, Sparkles. But I was in bit of a panic. People told me that relocating to an underground bunker for Saturday’s asteroid “flyby” was a bit of an overreaction. But you can never be too cautious, right?

Luckily, the astroid did indeed fly by without hitting us but I’ve decided to stay put in light of the news that NASA have just seen an enormous pulse of energy coming from a black hole. And what makes this so concerning is that nothing ever comes out of black holes. Until now.

“This is the first time we have been able to link the launching of the corona to a flare,” said Dan Wilkins of Saint Mary’s University. “This will help us understand how supermassive black holes power some of the brightest objects in the universe.” The large flare was seen coming out of supermassive black hole, Markarian 335. Two of NASA’s X-rays saw the occurrence and it has experts scratching their heads in unison.

“The nature of the energetic source of X-rays we call the corona is mysterious,” stated Fiona Harrison, the principal investigator of NuSTAR. “But now with the ability to see dramatic changes like this we are getting clues about its size and structure.”

While we like to think we have a fairly good understanding of space, much of what we count as knowledge is just theory which has yet to be disproved. So it looks like some textbooks will need to be rewritten. And while this particular supermassive black hole is 324 million light-years away, I’m not taking any chances.

This has been far from the easiest year that we have all lived through, but if we look to the night sky tonight, we may get a glimpse of something positive to remember about 2020.

A stunning 'Christmas Star' is set to light up the night sky tonight in a celestial event which, to the naked eye, appears to be a "double planet", caused by the crossing of Jupiter and Saturn's paths.

As per the BBC, it is speculated that this event is what took place over 2,000 years ago and became known as the Star of Bethlehem.

The two planets have gradually been moving closer together for some time now, but they will reach their closes point tonight (December 21).

However, if you are based in the UK, you will have to keep a close eye on the weather if you want to catch a glimpse of what is also known as the Christmas Star.

"Any evening it's clear, it's worth grabbing a chance because the weather doesn't look great," Dr. Carolin Crawford from the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy told the BBC.

If a gap in the clouds appears where you are in the UK, you will be able to see both planets in the southwest sky, and you won't have to stay up late to catch a glimpse of them either, as they will be at their closest above the horizon just after sunset.

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As per NASA's website, the event is known as the "Great Conjunction."

"You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium," Henry Throop, an astronomer in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said. "From our vantage point, we'll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21."

This is the first time that Jupiter and Saturn's paths have come so close in 400 years, and it has been nearly 800 years since the event took place at night, NASA added.

If you are based in the US and want to know when to look up at the night sky, NASA has issued the same aforementioned recommendations wherever you are in the US. Just be sure to check the weather wherever you are!

The Geminid meteor shower is set to light up the night sky tonight in what will be one of the most impressive celestial displays of 2020.

With as many as 120 meteors shooting through the sky every hour, the meteor shower will be extra bright if you're viewing it in the northern hemisphere thanks to the new moon.

As per The Independent, you will be able to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars until Wednesday evening, December 16.

If you're a seasoned stargazer - or simply want to plan ahead for an evening to remember - it's worth noting that the meteors will be at their brightest between December 13 and December 14 at night.

In fact, if you want to catch a glimpse of them and you're based in the UK, it is recommended that you stay up until 2 am which is when the sky will be at its darkest - and therefore, the best time to spot those shooting stars.

But if you're wanting to make your experience of the celestial event even better, professional astronomers and photographers recommend going out 45 minutes beforehand to give your eyes a chance to adjust to the darkness.

However, this is far from the only impressive celestial event taking place in the night sky this month.

An incredibly rare "Christmas star" is set to light up the night sky for the first time in 800 years (that's the Middle Ages) when two of the largest planets in our solar system are set to collide.

On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will come so close that it will look like they are a "double planet", creating a particularly bright point of light.

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"Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another," Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University, told Forbes.

"You'd have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky."

The celestial phenomenon has been known as the "Christmas Star" or "Star of Bethlehem" and is definitely not one to miss.

A TikToker who claims to be a time traveler from over 600 years in the future has made some startling predictions.

Known as Eno Alaric or by their handle 'theradianttimetravel', the mysterious figure often takes to social media to warn others about humanity's impending doom.

In their most recent video, they made several shocking prophecies - including that mankind was mere months away from making contact with extraterrestrial life.

The clip - which was shared on October 7 - claims that in a couple of months from now, Earth will be hit by a giant meteor transporting aliens through space.

It begins with a warning, reading: "Attention! Yes, I am a real time traveler from 2671, remember these five dates to come."

The first date Alaric warns about is November 22, 2022, when they claim an exploding star will light up the sky for years to come.

Not long after, on December 8, 2022, they allege that: "A large meteor hits earth, containing alien species and unknown materials."

A little over a week after this colossal event, on December 20, 2022, Alaric claims a "9.8 magnitude earthquake" will open "a hole in the Mariana Trench, releasing the largest species."

The following month, "massive versions of many species" will supposedly be discovered. According to Alaric, these will include a "3ft spider, 1ft ant, 18ft bear, and more."

As if all this wasn't already enough, the 'time traveler' claims that a few weeks later in March 2023, a human will breed with a chimpanzee, producing a baby with "mixed features".

While the TikTok may have garnered over 144,000 views on TikTok, the comments section suggests that people aren't exactly taking the predictions seriously.

"And I thought the last 2 years had been a bit lively... Great end to 2022," one person joked. Another wrote: "3 large species on the same day? Did they get together and plan a reveal party?"

A third person joined in the banter, commenting: "Man that’s a busy Q4! Sad I have to wait so long for the big ants."

Meanwhile, others clearly thought that - if the TikToker really was from the future - he could put his talents to much better use.

"At least you can tell us what Stocks or Crypto to buy," one commented. Another requested: "Let me know when gta 6 comes out," while a third asked: "Who wins the super bowl?"

Featured Image Credit: James Thew / Alamy