What is a nova?
Q: What is a nova?
A: A nova is a huge nuclear explosion on a white dwarf star that causes the star to suddenly brighten.
Q: How much material is ejected in a nova?
A: The amount of material ejected in a Nova is usually only about 1/10,000 of a solar mass, which is quite small relative to the mass of the white dwarf.
Q: How fast does the ejecta from a Nova travel?
A: The ejecta from a Nova can travel as fast as several thousand kilometers per second, or even higher for some Novae.
Q: How bright can Novae become?
A: Novae can become up to 50,000-100,000 times brighter than the sun.
Q: What was the brightest recent example of a Nova?
A: The brightest recent example of a Nova was Nova Cygni 1975 which appeared on 29 August 1975 and reached magnitude 2.0 (nearly as bright as Deneb).
Q: How many Novae are estimated to occur in the Milky Way each year?
A: Astronomers estimate that there are roughly 30-60 Novae occurring in the Milky Way each year with an average rate of 40.
Q: How many Novae are discovered in other galaxies such as Andromeda each year?
A: Approximately 25 Novae brighter than magnitude 20 are discovered in Andromeda Galaxy each year and smaller numbers are seen in other nearby galaxies.
