Luminous red nova facts for kids
A luminous red nova (often called an LRN) is a huge explosion that happens in space. It's thought to occur when two stars crash into each other and become one bigger star. These explosions have a special red color. The light they give off, especially near the star, is mostly in the infrared range. Luminous red novae are different from regular novae. Regular novae are smaller explosions that happen on the surface of white dwarf stars.
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How Luminous Red Novae Were Found
The first luminous red nova ever discovered was in a galaxy called Messier 85. Scientists at the Rickett Observatory found it while they were looking for supernovas, which are even bigger star explosions. Astronomers from U.C. Berkeley and Caltech studied this new discovery very closely.
They quickly realized it was different from other known star explosions, like regular novae or thermal pulses. Because it was so unique, they announced that luminous red novae were a completely new type of star explosion.
More Discoveries of LRNs
After the first discovery, scientists found more luminous red novae. In 2008, they found one called V1309 Scorpii. This star system was a contact binary, meaning two stars were orbiting so close they were almost touching. Researchers had been watching it for six years before it finally merged and exploded!
In 2015, two more luminous red novae were found. One was in the Andromeda galaxy, which is our closest large galaxy neighbor. The other was in the Pinwheel galaxy. Scientists even predicted that another star system, KIC 9832227, would merge and become a new luminous red nova in 2022. This star system is about 1,800 light years away from our Sun. A team from Calvin College noticed that the time it took for these stars to orbit each other was slowing down. This meant the stars were getting closer and closer, leading to the predicted merger.
What Makes Luminous Red Novae Special
Luminous red novae have several unique features:
- Brightness: The amount of light given off by a luminous red nova is somewhere between the brightness of a supernova (which is super bright) and a regular nova (which is less bright).
- Duration: The bright light from these explosions can last for several weeks or even a few months. Over time, the light slowly fades and becomes darker.
- Temperature: Unlike many other stars that are extremely hot, luminous red novae might not be as hot as typical stars.
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