Announcing T CrB pre-eruption dip

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2024-06-05 09:30:05

Join this special broadcast presented by Dr. Brad Schaefer, and brought to you by the AAVSO Cataclysmic Variables Section! Dr. Schaefer will discuss the history of this famous recurrent nova, the latest research into its unusual behavior, and the expected details of its imminent eruption. He will also talk about how amateurs can contribute to the study of this historic event, as well as the ongoing work on other recurrent novae. After the talk, Dr. Schaefer will remain available for a Q&A session.

Dr. Brad Schaefer, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at LSU, is a renowned astronomer who contributes across many areas including supernova cosmology, novae, recurrent novae, gamma ray bursts, solar system astronomy, and the history of astronomy. He is also a long-time friend and supporter of both the amateur astronomer community and the AAVSO. You can learn more about Dr. Shaefer's work on his LSU faculty page: https://www.lsu.edu/physics/people/faculty/schaefer.php

T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a famous recurrent nova with known eruptions in the years 1217, 1787, 1866, and 1946. Many workers have realized that the rise in brightness from its low state (1954.5 to 2015.0) to its high state (2015.0 to the present) is a precursor and harbinger for an upcoming eruption around 2025.5±1.3 or so (Munari et al. 2016; Schaefer 2023). A distinct and under-appreciated close-up harbinger is the unique and mysterious Pre-eruption Dip (Schaefer 2023). The Dip in 1945-1946 started around 1945.0 (1.1±0.3 years before the 1946 eruption), with the B-band magnitude fading from near 10.5 to 12.0 mag, while the V-band magnitude faded from around 9.8 to 12.3 mag. This fading ended abruptly with the nova eruption.