T Marks the Spot in Corona Borealis

Serendipity makes science even more fun.

I've been going outside every clear night since mid-June 2024 to photograph the constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. It's the site of an imminent nova, where the faint star designated T will suddenly explode and brighten enough to be visible to the naked eye. T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) can be found in the lower left side of the upright crown, likely about as bright as Polaris when it peaks but normally beyond our view.

After about 150 nights of imaging, a pair of crossing satellites happened to mark the approximate spot with a T. The original image shows the constellation low in the notch between two trees with the crown sideways as it rises in the east.

On closer examination, when you zoom in you can see the T from the 10-second exposure caused by sunlight reflected off two moving satellites. The base of the satellite T nearly aligns with the location of the star T. And the time when the photo was taken? May 10 at 10:10:10 PM.

Gotta love serendipity!