Spooky Tale at the Star Party
- Chuck Bueter
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 20 hours ago
A spooky tale awaits at the 15th Annual Michiana Star Party (MSP-15) where you can encounter ghoulish intrigue on several nights before Halloween. On Thursday, October 23, a 6:30 pm sunset segues into twilight, and a two-day old moon will predictably follow the sun to the horizon. Join me for twilight at the Star Party, between sunset and darkness, when creatures of the night come out. Together we'll stalk Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.

Within the 7-starred constellation Corona Borealis (CrB) is a binary star with a ghoulish back story. A small, dense white star is cannibalizing a red giant star. After 80 years of gorging, the white dwarf star pukes out some of the accumulated red giant. It's projectile vomit of light from a stellar-sized hydrogen bomb. Undeterred by the 80-year eruption, the white star resumes cannibalizing the red giant, and the lurid tale carries on.
About forty five minutes after sunset we'll all find and take "before" pictures of Corona Borealis, site of the forthcoming nova. That stellar-sized hydrogen bomb will appear to an earthling as a new star in the night sky--a nova. Light from dozens of these explosive flashes are en route to earth, with one 80-year flash arriving imminently.
The star party runs October 23-26, and admission is free the evening of Saturday the 26th. I invite you to get a Daily Pass to the star party for only ten dollars, then launch your night with a Corona Borealis "before" image. As a bonus, Comet Lemmon may photo bomb the twilight field of view. You're welcome to stay awhile at the Star Party and witness other wonders of the night sky. Meet some of those creatures of the night.
When the nova eventually does come, you and your cell phone camera will be ready. Likely no one now alive has seen this variable star, named T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) with the naked eye. But you might. Recurring every 80 years, it last had a visible outburst in 1946.
Of course, keep expectations in check. A recurring nova eruption may be spectacular astrophysics, but the Blaze Star, as it's also known, may only appear about as bright as Polaris, the North Star, and there are 50 stars brighter than Polaris. Then the variable star T CrB rapidly fades back into obscurity. But who knows ? That's why we observe in science--so we're not afraid of the dark.
Hope to meet you at the star party for a twilight tale. Dress warmly.

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Pumpkinova
As an aside, bring your carved pumpkin of Corona Borealis, with a story to describe it. Or please send your Pumpkinova photo if you cannot attend MSP-15 in person. Thanks.
Spooky Space Observing Challenge
For telescope operators, Ben Senson of the Madison Metropolitan School District Planetarium offers a Spooky Space Observing Challenge to complement the ghastly night. Among the listed targets are:
Barnard's E(vil) Nebula
Demon Star Algol
Flaming Skull Nebula
Ghost Head Nebula
Phantom Streak
The Vampire Star
Witches Broom Nebula