Two stars exploded in the sky at the same time, can it be observed in Vietnam?

(Dan Tri) - Two stars in the Milky Way are exploding at the same time and can be seen with the naked eye in the sky, creating a rare astronomical sight.

Two stars V462 Lupi and V572 Velorum are exploding in the sky, and can be seen with the naked eye (Photo: Sciencenews).

On the nights of late June, an interesting phenomenon is attracting the attention of astronomy lovers around the world .

It was an event in which two stars in the Milky Way, named V462 Lupi and V572 Velorum, exploded at the same time and emitted light so strong that it could be seen with the naked eye without the need for a telescope.

This is a rare opportunity to observe an astronomical phenomenon that only occurs every few years in modern observational history.

Two stars exploded in the sky at the same time

The star V462 Lupi was discovered on June 12 in the constellation Lupus. Its light peaked on June 20 before starting to fade. Meanwhile, V572 Velorum, located in the constellation Vela, was discovered on June 25, just two days later, and has been shining brightly.

Images captured by astronomer Eliot Herman show V572 Velorum as a glowing blue sphere, outlined by four elongated cross-shaped rays, standing out against the night sky.

Experts say the phenomenon of two stars exploding simultaneously and being visible to the naked eye is extremely rare.

Astronomer Juan Luna of Hurlingham National University in Argentina said the remaining time to observe the light from both stars may be just a few more nights. Independent astronomer Stephen O'Meara in Botswana said the last time humans recorded a similar event was in March 2018.

New Star Explosion and the Brief Journey of Brilliant Light

Illustration of a nova explosion (Photo: Scitech Daily).

The two exploding stars are not supernovae, which are violent explosions that completely destroy the parent star. They are classified as new stars, also known as “novae,” which occur when a white dwarf star sucks gas from its companion star in a binary star system.

There, the gas that is sucked in accumulates outside the white dwarf, heating up and eventually exploding under high pressure. The explosion does not destroy the star’s core, but it produces light bright enough to travel thousands of light years and reach observers on Earth.

A nova can be more than 100,000 times brighter than the Sun and last anywhere from a few days to a few months. On average, about 46 nova explosions occur in the Milky Way each year. However, very few of them are close enough and bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.

Therefore, the simultaneous appearance of V462 Lupi and V572 Velorum is not only of scientific value but also a rare observational experience for the public.

Observers in the Southern Hemisphere can easily observe the phenomenon without specialized equipment, but using binoculars or a small telescope can help see more detail, especially the color contrast and the rays of light around the glowing core.

Can it be observed in Vietnam?

Although the phenomenon of two nova stars is still happening, and shining brightly in the night sky, the ability to observe them depends greatly on geographical location.

Accordingly, both stars V462 Lupi and V572 Velorum are located in the Southern Hemisphere constellations Lupus and Vela, which are only clearly visible from areas below the equator.

This means that people living in countries like Argentina, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand have the best visibility to observe the phenomenon with the naked eye.

As for Vietnam and most countries in the Northern Hemisphere, the observation position is not low enough to the south to see both stars, even in ideal weather conditions and clear skies.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/hai-ngoi-sao-cung-luc-phat-no-tren-bau-troi-o-viet-nam-co-quan-sat-duoc-20250702091304109.htm