Nova

Nova

Nova were originally thought to be new stars, but are now known to be stars that suddenly become brighter or visible. This event is temporary, but the brightness can increase from several thousand to as much as 100,000 times its normal level. A nova brightens when gas from a large companion star falls on the white-dwarf member of a binary system, triggering nuclear fusion on the white-dwarf's surface. [VH] {SR} {EB}