T Coronae Borealis Targets June 25, 2026 Nova as 80-Year Blaze Star Nears Naked-Eye Return
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 2
T Coronae Borealis Targets June 25, 2026 Nova as 80-Year Blaze Star Nears Naked-Eye Return
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 2
Summary
June 25, 2026 is now the statistically most likely date for T Coronae Borealis to erupt, refocusing attention on the recurrent nova after a predicted 2025 window passed without an outburst.
An October 2024 paper pointed to that date after astronomers tracked dimming in 2023 and 2024 that resembled behavior seen before the system's last eruption in 1946.
T Coronae Borealis lies about 3,000 light-years away in Corona Borealis and erupts roughly every 80 years, with previous recorded outbursts in 1866 and 1946.
Magnitude +2 to +3 is the expected peak brightness, enough to make the star visible to the naked eye for days or weeks, though not among the sky's brightest objects.
February 8, 2027 is the next most likely window if June passes quietly, extending the wait for one of the rarest unaided astronomical sights.