Nova in Delphinus

This "new star" appeared within the constellation boundary of Delphinus in mid-August. It soon peaked at about magnitude 4.5, making it temporarily visible to the naked eye. This image, taken on a night when the sky was bright because of a gibbous Moon, shows the nova at about magnitude 4.9, so it was already starting to fade.

A nova occurs in double-star systems when matter from one star is transferred to a white dwarf companion and flares up, causing a tremendous increase in brightness that can last for weeks or months.

Image details:  15-second exposure with a Canon 400D camera at a focal length of 47 mm.

August 17, 2013