‘Rare Nova Explosion’ Could Be Seen in Montana Skies Soon

Think ahead to New Year's Eve 2024. We'll be remembering all of the things that happened this year, like the Summer Olympics, or the 2024 elections, but the thing that also feels significant about 2024 is the celestial events that have happened or will happen this year.

Solar Eclipse in 2024

While clouds and a not-optimal-path-of-totality made seeing the solar eclipse difficult in Montana, photos and video from the rest of the country showed the impressive event with many describing it as truly breathtaking.

Aurora Borealis in 2024

Much of the world saw the Northern Lights in 2024, with multiple opportunities to see the spectacle, but a significant event happened in May. In Montana, pink and green streaks rippled across the sky with visibility even in population centers with light pollution.

GALLERY: Check Out the Awesome Northern Light Pics in Montana

Planets Align in 2024, or Not

At the beginning of June, we reported that six planets would align on the morning of June 3 according to information from Astronomy.com, however, an article in Fast Company debunked this celestial event, saying NASA explained which planets could and could not be seen, but not a scenario where six were visible.

COMING UP: Nova Explosion in 2024

But NASA is saying that we'll have a chance to see a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. In a press release, NASA says it's "...an impending nova event--so bright it will be visible on Earth with the naked eye..."

Basically, we're going to be able to see an explosion in space from earth. It's not that a star is exploding, but that a red giant and a white dwarf are releasing material that causes a "thermal explosion."

The hydrogen from the red giant accretes on the surface of the white dwarf, causing a buildup of pressure and heat. Eventually, it triggers a thermonuclear explosion big enough to blast away the accreted material. - NASA

It's hard to know exactly when this will happen but "some researchers say the nova event could occur by September 2024." The good news is that it will last for several days, and since it can be seen with the naked eye, there's a good chance we'll all be looking up again before the summer ends.