Explanation:
A bright new nova is being studied by astronomers.
The officially dubbed
Nova Scorpii 2007
has become so bright in recent days that it is
now visible
to the unaided eye.
Adventurous early morning
sky enthusiasts should look in dark skies toward the
constellation of the
Scorpion, just below Jupiter and
Antares.
The above image may help as a sky chart.
A nova this bright occurs only
every few years.
Novas
are caused by
thermonuclear explosions
casting off the outer layers of a
white dwarf star.
Pictured above on Friday, the nova was being studied through a
small telescope as it appeared over the
Varzaneh Desert in
Isfahan,
Iran.
The
nova will likely fade but remain
visible with binoculars for at least a few more days.
