KIC 9832227 – Mark your calendars ‘cause in 4 years we’re in for a spectacular red nova!

We’re lucky! No, seriously, we are! Because in about 4 to 5 years (according to scientific predictions) we will witness one of the most spectacular events that could happen on our night’s sky: a red nova. And yes, we will all be able to see it with the naked eye, without the use of a telescope.
The Cygnus constellation hosts a star system consisting in a contact binary denominated KIC 9832227 by astronomers, 1800 light years away from Earth. The two stars of the binary system are both main sequence (still burning through their hydrogen fuel), with A weighing 1.36 solar masses and B weighing 0.30 solar masses, and an orbital period of 11 hours. Researchers have calculated that the two stars will merge by the year 2022, resulting in a red nova and the birth of a new, larger main sequence star. 
Red novae are far less brighter and also far (and I really mean FAR) less dangerous than supernovae, yet they are britghter than regular novae, occuring on the surface of dwarf stars. There have only been a few red novae discovered so far, too dim to be observed by the naked eye on Earth (V1309 Scorpii in 2008 and a couple of others in the Andromeda and the Pinwheel Galaxies), all resulting in the formation of new main sequence stars. 
The dangers this particular red nova could pose to us? None, absolutely! We will however be treated to a spectacular astronomical show for at least a couple of weeks, so mark your calendars and remember to watch out for the KIC 9832227 red nova of 2022, because this is one event few humans in history have or will ever witness. – Roman Alexander