At around 7 P.M. JST on the evening of March 18, Japanese amateur astronomer Yuji Nakamura spotted something strange: A new point of light in the familiar constellation Cassiopeia the Queen.
Researchers at Kyoto University quickly followed up using the 3.8-meter Seimei Telescope atop Mt. Chikurinji in Japan. They obtained a spectrum of the new object, hoping to determine its nature based on clues hiding in its light.
They discovered that the object, which is cataloged as PNV J23244760+6111140, is a classical nova: An outburst from a white dwarf that’s stealing matter from its nearby companion star.
The new nova is growing brighter, too. At the time of its discovery (March 18), it was shining at magnitude 9.6. But within a matter of hours, it had brightened to magnitude 9.1. Images taken earlier today (March 19), show it has brightened yet again, reaching magnitude 7.8. That’s bright enough to spot it with binoculars from your backyard.