The star system T Coronae Borealis is due for a massive eruption, as depicted in this illustration. The system consists of a ‘dead’ star, known as a white dwarf, with a giant companion. The gravity of the white dwarf pulls gas from the surface of the companion, forming a glowing disk. Some of this material piles up on the surface of the white dwarf, getting hotter and hotter. Eventually, it gets hot enough to trigger a runaway thermonuclear explosion, like a giant hydrogen bomb. The system has been erupting every 80 years, on average. The last outburst was in 1946, so astronomers predict that the next one could come soon. [NASA/GSFC/Conceptual Image Lab]
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