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A nova is a cataclysmic nuclear explosion caused by the accretion of hydrogen onto the surface of a white dwarf star [See Link]
Not to be confused with a supernova [See link]
Wiki User
โ 12y ago
Wiki User
โ 12y agoNovae (the plural of nova) are quite different from super-novae.
The former occur only in binary star systems where one of the stars is a white dwarf (wd). The wd sucks off gas from the non-dwarf star, and that gas accreates on the surface of the wd. In the super-strong gravitatonal pull of the wd, this layer of hydrogen gets compacted enough to begin to fuse. Because the hydrogen on the wd surface is so dense, it rapidly works its way through a normal fusion cycle, and then blows off the remaining hydrogen. This results in major increase in the brightness of the area around the binary star, which takes a few weeks to lose its brightness.
Wiki User
โ 12y agoThe astronomer Tycho Brahe observed the supernova SN 1572 and described it in his book de Stella nova (Latin for "concerning the new star"), giving rise to the name nova.
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