Blaze Star - Revision history

Sushoff at 18:22, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T18:22:44Z

Sushoff: /* Concordance, Etymology, History */

2026-07-23T18:13:11Z

Concordance, Etymology, History

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:13, 23 July 2026
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	It was not until 1946 that the next bright flare was seen, and in the intervening period, apparently (almost) no one looked at this star – at least, there are no observation data in the data archive (but the light curve also begins in 1866 only after the flare has subsided (at 7 mag).		It was not until 1946 that the next bright flare was seen, and in the intervening period, apparently (almost) no one looked at this star – at least, there are no observation data in the data archive (but the light curve also begins in 1866 only after the flare has subsided (at 7 mag).

	'''Note:''' We have no less than two data points (nova light curves) from the star whose eruption ~~we are now expecting~~. One of these dates back to before the invention of electrical photometry (Potsdam, 1913), i.e., it is based solely on the estimates of experienced observers: a well-functioning method, but not using the same measurement method we use today. Contrary to everything taught in basic physics courses (or any laboratory course), we have no choice but to compare measurements that school physics teaches us are not comparable (common practice in astronomy).		'''Note:''' We have no less than two data points (nova light curves) from the star whose next eruption has been expected for 2024-6. One of these dates goes back to before the invention of electrical photometry (Potsdam, 1913), i.e., it is based solely on the estimates of experienced observers: a well-functioning method, but not using the same measurement method we use today. Contrary to everything taught in basic physics courses (or any laboratory course), we have no choice but to compare measurements that school physics teaches us are not comparable (common practice in astronomy).

	=== Occurrence of the Name ===		=== Occurrence of the Name ===

IanRidpath: /* Discovery */ My typo!

2026-07-23T17:44:13Z

Discovery: My typo!

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:44, 23 July 2026
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	=== Discovery ===		=== Discovery ===
	Late on the evening of May 12, 1866, the amateur astronomer John Birmingham of Tuam, Ireland, was on his way home from a friend’s house when he noticed a new star in the constellation Corona Borealis. He estimated as being brighter than the constellation’s main star, α Coronae Borealis, which is magnitude 2.2. It had not been visible to the naked eye four hours earlier when the director of the Athens Observatory, Julius Schmidt, scanned the area, so must have shot to prominence very rapidly. Birmingham continued to observe it for another two hours but it showed no change in brightness. The nova was soon identified with a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey, which made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one – in fact the first nova to be identified with an existing star. ([https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/125797/pdf Petit 1946, PDF]). [[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]		Late on the evening of May 12, 1866, the amateur astronomer John Birmingham of Tuam, Ireland, was on his way home from a friend’s house when he noticed a new star in the constellation Corona Borealis. He estimated it as being brighter than the constellation’s main star, α Coronae Borealis, which is magnitude 2.2. It had not been visible to the naked eye four hours earlier when the director of the Athens Observatory, Julius Schmidt, scanned the area, so must have shot to prominence very rapidly. Birmingham continued to observe it for another two hours but it showed no change in brightness. The nova was soon identified with a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey, which made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one – in fact the first nova to be identified with an existing star. ([https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/125797/pdf Petit 1946, PDF]). [[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]
	Back then, in 1866, people did not even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations – and didn't (yet) understand it.		Back then, in 1866, people did not even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations – and didn't (yet) understand it.

IanRidpath: Rewrote section on discovery of the star.

2026-07-23T17:38:44Z

Rewrote section on discovery of the star.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:38, 23 July 2026
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	Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}		Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
	----		----
	[[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg\|thumb\|~~screenshot~~ of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869 - Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a ~~headline~~]]		[[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg\|thumb\|Screenshot of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869. Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a subheading]]
	{{Infobox constellation		{{Infobox constellation
	\| name = Blaze Star		\| name = Blaze Star
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	=== Discovery ===		=== Discovery ===
	On May 12, 1866, ~~at least three observers were the first to observe a star at this location in the sky ([https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/125797/pdf Petit 1946, PDF]).~~		Late on the evening of May 12, 1866, the amateur astronomer John Birmingham of Tuam, Ireland, was on his way home from a friend’s house when he noticed a new star in the constellation Corona Borealis. He estimated as being brighter than the constellation’s main star, α Coronae Borealis, which is magnitude 2.2. It had not been visible to the naked eye four hours earlier when the director of the Athens Observatory, Julius Schmidt, scanned the area, so must have shot to prominence very rapidly. Birmingham continued to observe it for another two hours but it showed no change in brightness. The nova was soon identified with a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey, which made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one – in fact the first nova to be identified with an existing star. ([https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/125797/pdf Petit 1946, PDF]). [[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]
			Back then, in 1866, people did not even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations – and didn't (yet) understand it.
	~~# The director of~~ the ~~Athens Observatory, Mr. Schmidt, saw the star with a magnitude of 5 during a sky survey between 8:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (local time).~~
	~~# On the same night,~~ John Birmingham in Tuam, Ireland, ~~also reported the star,~~
	~~# and W. J. Lynn from the Greenwich Observatory in London saw the object a little later (between 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.)~~ on his way ~~(not~~ from ~~an observatory) even with~~ the ~~naked eye, because it was already as bright~~ as the main star ~~of the constellation (~~magnitude 2.2).

	~~In some sources, Birmingham is given as~~ the ~~first but as Ireland is further west and north than~~ Athens ~~he must have seen the nova later. Civil twilight ends only at roughly 22:10 on Tuam in western Ireland on~~ the ~~12th of May~~, so ~~he could~~ have ~~seen the nova only some hours after any observer in Athens (due~~ to ~~timezone difference and much later end of twilight)~~.

	~~The observers agree that~~ in ~~this region of the sky near the galactic pole, where there are few bright stars, it “disturbed”/ “distorted” the shape of the constellation~~. The nova was ~~therefore definitely conspicuous and could be~~ identified as a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey~~. This~~ made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one.
	[[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]
	Back ~~then—in 1866—people didn't~~ even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their ~~observations—and~~ didn't (yet) understand it.

	It was not until 1946 that the next bright flare was seen, and in the intervening period, apparently (almost) no one looked at this star – at least, there are no observation data in the data archive (but the light curve also begins in 1866 only after the flare has subsided (at 7 mag).		It was not until 1946 that the next bright flare was seen, and in the intervening period, apparently (almost) no one looked at this star – at least, there are no observation data in the data archive (but the light curve also begins in 1866 only after the flare has subsided (at 7 mag).
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	Note that the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc earliest paper] [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc in the 1880s] that speaks of a "Blazing Star" deals with Zeta Cassiopeiae (1886). Sara Schechner in the 1990s (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/1990taa..conf....9S/abstract Schechner 1990]) still uses the term in a general sense and not as a proper name.		Note that the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc earliest paper] [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc in the 1880s] that speaks of a "Blazing Star" deals with Zeta Cassiopeiae (1886). Sara Schechner in the 1990s (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/1990taa..conf....9S/abstract Schechner 1990]) still uses the term in a general sense and not as a proper name.
	[[File:BlazeStar Capture.jpg\|center\|thumb\|800x800px]]		[[File:BlazeStar Capture.jpg\|center\|thumb\|800x800px]]
	However, ~~thename~~ "Blaze Star" for the specific object in Corona Borealis is first found in the note in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj48AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA515 English Mechanic and Mirror Science in September 1869]~~, displayed above~~.		However, the name "Blaze Star" for the specific object in Corona Borealis is first found in the note in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj48AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA515 English Mechanic and Mirror Science in September 1869] (see top of this page).

	=== Expectations for next eruption ===		=== Expectations for next eruption ===

YoulaAzkarrula: infobox

2026-07-11T02:43:45Z

infobox

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ----
 [[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg|thumb|screenshot of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869 - Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a headline]]
 [[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg|thumb|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017).]]
 The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for the eruptive variable T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) has been used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag  (V), prototype of the T CrB stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog because of its peak magnitude.

YoulaAzkarrula at 06:53, 7 June 2026

2026-06-07T06:53:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:53, 7 June 2026
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	[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]] [[Category:Asterism]]		[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]] [[Category:Asterism]]
	[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]		[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
	[[Category:Transient]]		[[Category:Transient]] [[Category:Stellar Transient]]
	[[Category:Modern]]		[[Category:Modern]]
	[[Category:CrB]]		[[Category:CrB]]

YoulaAzkarrula at 04:47, 16 May 2026

2026-05-16T04:47:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:47, 16 May 2026
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	* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/coronaborealis.html#blaze Star Tales, Corona Borealis] )		* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/coronaborealis.html#blaze Star Tales, Corona Borealis] )

	[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]		[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]] [[Category:Asterism]]
	[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]		[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
	[[Category:Transient]]		[[Category:Transient]]
	[[Category:Modern]]		[[Category:Modern]]
	[[Category:CrB]]		[[Category:CrB]]

IanRidpath: /* Occurance of the Name */ Typos

2026-02-18T08:48:53Z

Occurance of the Name: Typos

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:48, 18 February 2026
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	'''Note:''' We have no less than two data points (nova light curves) from the star whose eruption we are now expecting. One of these dates back to before the invention of electrical photometry (Potsdam, 1913), i.e., it is based solely on the estimates of experienced observers: a well-functioning method, but not using the same measurement method we use today. Contrary to everything taught in basic physics courses (or any laboratory course), we have no choice but to compare measurements that school physics teaches us are not comparable (common practice in astronomy).		'''Note:''' We have no less than two data points (nova light curves) from the star whose eruption we are now expecting. One of these dates back to before the invention of electrical photometry (Potsdam, 1913), i.e., it is based solely on the estimates of experienced observers: a well-functioning method, but not using the same measurement method we use today. Contrary to everything taught in basic physics courses (or any laboratory course), we have no choice but to compare measurements that school physics teaches us are not comparable (common practice in astronomy).

	=== ~~Occurance~~ of the Name ===		=== Occurrence of the Name ===
	The nickname has been around since the late 19th century, and it has propagated in astronomy literature significantly since then. WGSN found that the first recorded use of the name Blaze Star for T CrB was in a lecture by the British spectroscopist William Allen Miller at a meeting of the British Association in 1869, and published in the ''English Mechanic''. The name was popularized by R. A. Proctor (1872, see [https://books.google.de/books?id=bLJXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA378&dq=Coronae+%22Blaze+star%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Coronae%20%22Blaze%20star%22&f=true GoogleBooks])<ref>Proctor, Richard A. (1872). The star depths. The Mechanics' Magazine, 96, 378-379.</ref> and later his daughter Mary Proctor (1897, see [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P on adsabs], p.104).		The nickname has been around since the late 19th century, and it has propagated in astronomy literature significantly since then. WGSN found that the first recorded use of the name Blaze Star for T CrB was in a lecture by the British spectroscopist William Allen Miller at a meeting of the British Association in 1869, and published in the ''English Mechanic''. The name was popularized by R. A. Proctor (1872, see [https://books.google.de/books?id=bLJXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA378&dq=Coronae+%22Blaze+star%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Coronae%20%22Blaze%20star%22&f=true GoogleBooks])<ref>Proctor, Richard A. (1872). The star depths. The Mechanics' Magazine, 96, 378-379.</ref> and later his daughter Mary Proctor (1897, see [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P on adsabs], p.104).
	[[File:Blaze Star ProctorMary.png\|thumb\|Screenshot from [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P Mary Proctor's paper] (CC BY Ian Ridpath).]]		[[File:Blaze Star ProctorMary.png\|thumb\|Screenshot from [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P Mary Proctor's paper] (CC BY Ian Ridpath).]]
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	However, thename "Blaze Star" for the specific object in Corona Borealis is first found in the note in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj48AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA515 English Mechanic and Mirror Science in September 1869], displayed above.		However, thename "Blaze Star" for the specific object in Corona Borealis is first found in the note in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj48AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA515 English Mechanic and Mirror Science in September 1869], displayed above.

	=== ~~Expections~~ for next eruption ===		=== Expectations for next eruption ===
	Three of the other T CrB-class star systems erupt somewhat more frequently: every 20 to 30 years, so that what the press tells us about the impending eruption may not be entirely reliable. We suspect that during the outburst, the star will have approximately the brightness (3 to 2 mag) of the North Star or the main star of a constellation (alf CrB, [[Alphecca]]), because this was the case in both documented observations. Many (50%) recurrent novae always erupt with the same brightness – but the peak brightness can also vary (the other 50%). Therefore, it cannot be completely ruled out that the star T CrB will not be quite as bright as last time (e.g., only 4 mag or even only 6 mag) or that it will be even brighter (up to Arcturus brightness) during its upcoming outburst: We will only know for sure when we see it.		Three of the other T CrB-class star systems erupt somewhat more frequently: every 20 to 30 years, so that what the press tells us about the impending eruption may not be entirely reliable. We suspect that during the outburst, the star will have approximately the brightness (3 to 2 mag) of the North Star or the main star of a constellation (alf CrB, [[Alphecca]]), because this was the case in both documented observations. Many (50%) recurrent novae always erupt with the same brightness – but the peak brightness can also vary (the other 50%). Therefore, it cannot be completely ruled out that the star T CrB will not be quite as bright as last time (e.g., only 4 mag or even only 6 mag) or that it will be even brighter (up to Arcturus brightness) during its upcoming outburst: We will only know for sure when we see it.

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	*		*

	== ~~Reference~~ ==		== References ==
	* [[References\|References (general)]]		* [[References\|References (general)]]
	* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/coronaborealis.html#blaze Star Tales, Corona Borealis] )		* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/coronaborealis.html#blaze Star Tales, Corona Borealis] )

IanRidpath: Copyedit, better link

2026-02-18T08:46:51Z

Copyedit, better link

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:46, 18 February 2026
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	[[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg\|thumb\|screenshot of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869 - Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a headline]]		[[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg\|thumb\|screenshot of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869 - Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a headline]]
	[[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg\|thumb\|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017).]]		[[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg\|thumb\|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017).]]
	The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for the eruptive variable T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) ~~ha sbeen~~ used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag (V), prototype of the T CrB stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients\|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog because of its peak magnitude.		The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for the eruptive variable T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) has been used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag (V), prototype of the T CrB stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients\|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog because of its peak magnitude.

	==Concordance, Etymology, History==		==Concordance, Etymology, History==
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	=== Specifically on T CrB ===		=== Specifically on T CrB ===
	[[File:TCrB aavsoLCG2 2024.jpg\|thumb\|A light curve of T CrB based on the data archive of the [https://www.aavso.org/LCGv2/ AAVSO] (2024).]]		[[File:TCrB aavsoLCG2 2024.jpg\|thumb\|A light curve of T CrB based on the data archive of the [https://www.aavso.org/LCGv2/ AAVSO] (2024).]]
	In 2024/ 2025, ~~the~~ press ~~campaigns~~ claimed that the star will erupt soon because the last eruption of T CrB was about 80 years ago, i.e., in 1946. If we think carefully about how many survey programs and systematic sky monitoring observation programs there were at the end of World War II, we can't think of many. At that time, there were no satellite telescopes, and the culture of observational astronomy consisted mainly of individual stargazers who, while observing their favourite objects, might have found an erupting star “by chance.”		In 2024/2025, press reports claimed that the star will erupt soon because the last eruption of T CrB was about 80 years ago, i.e., in 1946. If we think carefully about how many survey programs and systematic sky monitoring observation programs there were at the end of World War II, we can't think of many. At that time, there were no satellite telescopes, and the culture of observational astronomy consisted mainly of individual stargazers who, while observing their favourite objects, might have found an erupting star “by chance.”

	It was no different ''before'' World War II. So how do we know the recurrence period? It is clearly visible that there is a huge data gap between 1870 and 1930.		It was no different ''before'' World War II. So how do we know the recurrence period? It is clearly visible that there is a huge data gap between 1870 and 1930.


	==Mythology==		==Mythology==
	no mythology		no mythology
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	== Reference ==		== Reference ==
	* [[References\|References (general)]]		* [[References\|References (general)]]
	* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )		* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/coronaborealis.html#blaze Star Tales, Corona Borealis] )

	[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]		[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]

IanRidpath: Copyedit

2026-02-18T08:41:20Z

Copyedit

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:22, 23 July 2026
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	\| cat = IAU-Star Name		\| cat = IAU-Star Name
	}}		}}
	[[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg\|thumb\|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017).]]		[[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg\|thumb\|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017)<ref>Hoffmann, Susanne M (2017). Hipparchs Himmelsglobus – Ein Bindeglied in der babylonisch-griechischen Astrometrie?, Springer Research, Wiesbaden, New York, <nowiki>http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783658186821</nowiki></ref>.]]
	The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for the eruptive variable T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) has been used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag (V), prototype of the T CrB stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients\|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog because of its peak magnitude.		The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for the eruptive variable T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) has been used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag (V), prototype of the T CrB stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients\|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog because of its peak magnitude.

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	=== Discovery ===		=== Discovery ===
	Late on the evening of May 12, 1866, the amateur astronomer John Birmingham of Tuam, Ireland, was on his way home from a friend’s house when he noticed a new star in the constellation Corona Borealis. He estimated it as being brighter than the constellation’s main star, α Coronae Borealis, which is magnitude 2.2. It had not been visible to the naked eye four hours earlier when the director of the Athens Observatory, Julius Schmidt, scanned the area, so must have shot to prominence very rapidly. Birmingham continued to observe it for another two hours but it showed no change in brightness. The nova was soon identified with a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey, which made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one – in fact the first nova to be identified with an existing star. ([https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/125797/pdf Petit 1946, PDF]). [[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]		Late on the evening of May 12, 1866, the amateur astronomer John Birmingham of Tuam, Ireland, was on his way home from a friend’s house when he noticed a new star in the constellation Corona Borealis. He estimated it as being brighter than the constellation’s main star, α Coronae Borealis, which is magnitude 2.2. It had not been visible to the naked eye four hours earlier when the director of the Athens Observatory, Julius Schmidt, scanned the area, so must have shot to prominence very rapidly. Birmingham continued to observe it for another two hours but it showed no change in brightness. The nova was soon identified with a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey, which made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one – in fact the first nova to be identified with an existing star. ([https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/125797/pdf Petit 1946, PDF]). [[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.<ref name=":0" />]]
	Back then, in 1866, people did not even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations – and didn't (yet) understand it.		Back then, in 1866, people did not even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations – and didn't (yet) understand it.

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	=== Occurrence of the Name ===		=== Occurrence of the Name ===
	The nickname has been around since the late 19th century, and it has propagated in astronomy literature significantly since then. WGSN found that the first recorded use of the name Blaze Star for T CrB was in a lecture by the British spectroscopist William Allen Miller at a meeting of the British Association in 1869, and published in the ''English Mechanic''. The name was popularized by R. A. Proctor (1872, see [https://books.google.de/books?id=bLJXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA378&dq=Coronae+%22Blaze+star%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Coronae%20%22Blaze%20star%22&f=true GoogleBooks])<ref>Proctor, Richard A. (1872). The star depths. The Mechanics' Magazine, 96, 378-379.</ref> and later his daughter Mary Proctor (1897, see [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P on adsabs], p.104).		The nickname has been around since the late 19th century, and it has propagated in astronomy literature significantly since then. WGSN found that the first recorded use of the name Blaze Star for T CrB was in a lecture by the British spectroscopist William Allen Miller at a meeting of the British Association in 1869, and published in the ''English Mechanic''. The name was popularized by R. A. Proctor (1872, see [https://books.google.de/books?id=bLJXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA378&dq=Coronae+%22Blaze+star%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Coronae%20%22Blaze%20star%22&f=true GoogleBooks])<ref name=":0">Proctor, Richard A. (1872). The star depths. The Mechanics' Magazine, 96, 378-379.</ref> and later his daughter Mary Proctor (1897, see [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P on adsabs], p.104).
	[[File:Blaze Star ProctorMary.png\|thumb\|Screenshot from [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P Mary Proctor's paper] (CC BY Ian Ridpath).]]		[[File:Blaze Star ProctorMary.png\|thumb\|Screenshot from [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P Mary Proctor's paper] (CC BY Ian Ridpath).]]
	Note that the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc earliest paper] [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc in the 1880s] that speaks of a "Blazing Star" deals with Zeta Cassiopeiae (1886). Sara Schechner in the 1990s (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/1990taa..conf....9S/abstract Schechner 1990]) still uses the term in a general sense and not as a proper name.		Note that the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc earliest paper] [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc in the 1880s] that speaks of a "Blazing Star" deals with Zeta Cassiopeiae (1886). Sara Schechner in the 1990s (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/1990taa..conf....9S/abstract Schechner 1990]) still uses the term in a general sense and not as a proper name.
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	In astronomy, the obvious characteristics of a system are used for classification. In the case of our recurrent novae, these would be the orbital period (period duration) P<sub>orb</sub>, the amplitude A during eruption, the repetition time τ<sub>r</sub>, and the decay time t<sub>3</sub> from the maximum of 3 mag. The period depends on the size of the main star (donor): with a small donor, the orbiting dwarf star must be closer so that matter can flow over, and therefore it has a shorter period due to Kepler's laws.		In astronomy, the obvious characteristics of a system are used for classification. In the case of our recurrent novae, these would be the orbital period (period duration) P<sub>orb</sub>, the amplitude A during eruption, the repetition time τ<sub>r</sub>, and the decay time t<sub>3</sub> from the maximum of 3 mag. The period depends on the size of the main star (donor): with a small donor, the orbiting dwarf star must be closer so that matter can flow over, and therefore it has a shorter period due to Kepler's laws.
	[[File:Nrec 3diagr-1024x239.jpg\|center\|frameless\|1024x1024px\|Characterization of the ten known recurrent novae: In T Pyx stars, the erupting star orbits a dwarf star (blue), in U Sco types it orbits a main sequence star (yellow), and in T CrB types it orbits a red giant (SMH 2024), published in Hoffmann and Vogt (2022)]]Characterization of the ten known recurrent novae: In T Pyx stars, the erupting star orbits a dwarf star (blue), in U Sco types it orbits a main sequence star (yellow), and in T CrB types it orbits a red giant ~~(SMH 2024)~~, published in Hoffmann and Vogt (2022)[[File:Nrec 3diagr 2.jpg\|center\|frameless\|1024x1024px\|recurrent novae, behaviour depending on classes, first published in Hoffmann and Vogt (2022).]]		[[File:Nrec 3diagr-1024x239.jpg\|center\|frameless\|1024x1024px\|Characterization of the ten known recurrent novae: In T Pyx stars, the erupting star orbits a dwarf star (blue), in U Sco types it orbits a main sequence star (yellow), and in T CrB types it orbits a red giant (SMH 2024), published in Hoffmann and Vogt (2022)]]Characterization of the ten known recurrent novae: In T Pyx stars, the erupting star orbits a dwarf star (blue), in U Sco types it orbits a main sequence star (yellow), and in T CrB types it orbits a red giant, published in Hoffmann and Vogt (2022)<ref>Hoffmann S.M. and Vogt N (2022): A Search for recurrent novae among Far Eastern guest stars, New Astronomy, Vol 92, 101722</ref>[[File:Nrec 3diagr 2.jpg\|center\|frameless\|1024x1024px\|recurrent novae, behaviour depending on classes, first published in Hoffmann and Vogt (2022).]]
	Characterization of nova behavior: The decay time for novae of the T CrB type is relatively short, i.e., the “new star” is only visible to the naked eye for a few days. The amplitude appears to be at the lower end of the possible range (compared to other systems), but with an outburst of 6 to 9 mag, a star that normally has 10 mag is certainly within the range of naked-eye visibility. The figure on the right shows how much the amplitude of the maximum varies among the individual star systems: it does not depend on the star type and can deviate significantly (by up to 4 mag) from the median mean (i.e., the most common case).		Characterization of nova behavior: The decay time for novae of the T CrB type is relatively short, i.e., the “new star” is only visible to the naked eye for a few days. The amplitude appears to be at the lower end of the possible range (compared to other systems), but with an outburst of 6 to 9 mag, a star that normally has 10 mag is certainly within the range of naked-eye visibility. The figure on the right shows how much the amplitude of the maximum varies among the individual star systems: it does not depend on the star type and can deviate significantly (by up to 4 mag) from the median mean (i.e., the most common case).

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:41, 18 February 2026
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	[[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg\|thumb\|screenshot of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869 - Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a headline]]		[[File:EnglishMechanicAndMirrorOfScience1869 content hi.jpg\|thumb\|screenshot of a page in the English Mechanic and Mirror Science, Sept 1869 - Here, the name "Blaze Star, 1866" is chosen as a headline]]
	[[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg\|thumb\|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017).]]		[[File:TCrB bsc1990-768x485.jpg\|thumb\|The variable star T CrB is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR 5859), here depicted in a star chart in Hoffmann (2017).]]
	The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) ~~in eruption; it is being~~ used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag ~~bright~~ (V), prototype of the T CrB-stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients\|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog (because of its peak magnitude).		The name "Blaze Star" as a nickname for the eruptive variable T CrB ([https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=T+CrB&submit=SIMBAD+search Simbad], [https://vsx.aavso.org/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=10602 VSX]) ha sbeen used since the 19th century. The symbiotic system in [[Corona Borealis]] consists of a red giant and a white dwarf, together normally 10.247 mag (V), prototype of the T CrB stars (see "[[Suggested Stellar Transients\|Transients]]"). Occasionally, the system permits nova eruptions (surface eruptions on the white dwarf), which flare it up to mag 3 or 2. Although its usual brightness is below the detection limit of the human eye, the star is included in the Yale Bright Star Catalog because of its peak magnitude.

	==Concordance, Etymology, History==		==Concordance, Etymology, History==
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	# and W. J. Lynn from the Greenwich Observatory in London saw the object a little later (between 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.) on his way (not from an observatory) even with the naked eye, because it was already as bright as the main star of the constellation (magnitude 2.2).		# and W. J. Lynn from the Greenwich Observatory in London saw the object a little later (between 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.) on his way (not from an observatory) even with the naked eye, because it was already as bright as the main star of the constellation (magnitude 2.2).

	In some sources, Birmingham is given as the first but as Ireland is further west and north than Athens, he must have seen the nova later. Civil twilight ends only at roughly 22:10 on Tuam ~~island~~ on the 12th of May, so he could have seen the nova only some hours after any observer in Athens (due to timezone difference and much later end of twilight).		In some sources, Birmingham is given as the first but as Ireland is further west and north than Athens he must have seen the nova later. Civil twilight ends only at roughly 22:10 on Tuam in western Ireland on the 12th of May, so he could have seen the nova only some hours after any observer in Athens (due to timezone difference and much later end of twilight).

	The observers agree that in this region of the sky near the galactic pole, where there are few bright stars, it “disturbed”/ “distorted” the shape of the constellation ~~(as they say)~~. The nova was therefore definitely conspicuous and could be identified as a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey. This made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one.		The observers agree that in this region of the sky near the galactic pole, where there are few bright stars, it “disturbed”/ “distorted” the shape of the constellation. The nova was therefore definitely conspicuous and could be identified as a star of magnitude 9.5 in the Bonn survey. This made it clear that this “new star” was an eruption of a known one.
	[[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]		[[File:Proctor1872 StarDepths blazeStar.png\|thumb\|"Blaze Star" in Proctor's note on "star depths" in 1872.]]
	Back then—in 1866—people didn't even know how stars work or where the ~~sun~~ gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations—and didn't (yet) understand it.		Back then—in 1866—people didn't even know how stars work or where the Sun gets its energy from, let alone how stars evolve or why some of them change brightness. They saw it, recorded their observations—and didn't (yet) understand it.

	It was not until 1946 that the next bright flare was seen, and in the intervening period, apparently (almost) no one looked at this star – at least, there are no observation data in the data archive (but the light curve also begins in 1866 only after the flare has subsided (at 7 mag).		It was not until 1946 that the next bright flare was seen, and in the intervening period, apparently (almost) no one looked at this star – at least, there are no observation data in the data archive (but the light curve also begins in 1866 only after the flare has subsided (at 7 mag).
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	=== Occurance of the Name ===		=== Occurance of the Name ===
	The nickname has been around since the late 19th century, and it propagated in astronomy literature significantly since then. WGSN found that the first recorded use of the name Blaze Star for T CrB was in a lecture by the British spectroscopist William Allen Miller at a meeting of the British Association in 1869, and published in the ''English Mechanic''. The name was popularized by R. A. Proctor (1872, see [https://books.google.de/books?id=bLJXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA378&dq=Coronae+%22Blaze+star%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Coronae%20%22Blaze%20star%22&f=true GoogleBooks])<ref>Proctor, Richard A. (1872). The star depths. The Mechanics' Magazine, 96, 378-379.</ref> and later his daughter Mary Proctor (1897, see [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P on adsabs], p.104).		The nickname has been around since the late 19th century, and it has propagated in astronomy literature significantly since then. WGSN found that the first recorded use of the name Blaze Star for T CrB was in a lecture by the British spectroscopist William Allen Miller at a meeting of the British Association in 1869, and published in the ''English Mechanic''. The name was popularized by R. A. Proctor (1872, see [https://books.google.de/books?id=bLJXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA378&dq=Coronae+%22Blaze+star%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Coronae%20%22Blaze%20star%22&f=true GoogleBooks])<ref>Proctor, Richard A. (1872). The star depths. The Mechanics' Magazine, 96, 378-379.</ref> and later his daughter Mary Proctor (1897, see [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P on adsabs], p.104).
	[[File:Blaze Star ProctorMary.png\|thumb\|Screenshot from [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P Mary Proctor's paper] (CC BY Ian Ridpath).]]		[[File:Blaze Star ProctorMary.png\|thumb\|Screenshot from [https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1897PA......5...97P Mary Proctor's paper] (CC BY Ian Ridpath).]]
	Note that the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc earliest paper] [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc in the 1880s] that speaks of a "Blazing Star" deals with ~~zeta~~ Cassiopeiae (1886). Sara Schechner in the 1990s (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/1990taa..conf....9S/abstract Schechner 1990]) still uses the term in a general sense and not as a proper name.		Note that the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc earliest paper] [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/fq=%7B!type%3Daqp%20v%3D%24fq_database%7D&fq_database=(database%3Aastronomy%20OR%20database%3Aphysics)&p_=0&q=%22Blaze%20Star%22&sort=date%20asc%2C%20bibcode%20asc in the 1880s] that speaks of a "Blazing Star" deals with Zeta Cassiopeiae (1886). Sara Schechner in the 1990s (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/1990taa..conf....9S/abstract Schechner 1990]) still uses the term in a general sense and not as a proper name.
	[[File:BlazeStar Capture.jpg\|center\|thumb\|800x800px]]		[[File:BlazeStar Capture.jpg\|center\|thumb\|800x800px]]
	However, thename "Blaze Star" for the specific object in Corona Borealis is first found in the note in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj48AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA515 English Mechanic and Mirror Science in September 1869], displayed above.		However, thename "Blaze Star" for the specific object in Corona Borealis is first found in the note in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=xj48AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA515 English Mechanic and Mirror Science in September 1869], displayed above.