“Typically, nova events are so faint and far away that it’s hard to clearly identify where the erupting energy is concentrated,” Dr. Elizabeth Hays, chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA Goddard said in the press release. “This one will be really close, with a lot of eyes on it, studying the various wavelengths and hopefully giving us data to start unlocking the structure and specific processes involved. We can’t wait to get the full picture of what’s going on.”

The exact date and time of the astronomical explosion is unknown, but once it happens, Hounsell says the once-in-a-lifetime event is sure to inspire the next generation of skywatchers.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers out there, giving young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions, and collect their own data,” Dr. Hounsell said in the release, adding, “It’ll fuel the next generation of scientists.”