Advertisement
Advertisement
nova
1[noh-vuh]
noun
plural
novas, novaea star that suddenly becomes thousands of times brighter and then gradually fades to its original intensity.
Nova
2[noh-vuh]
noun
Also called Nova Salmon.Ìýa Pacific salmon cured in the style of Nova Scotia salmon.
nova, (loosely) any smoked salmon.
nova
/ ˈ²Ôəʊ±¹É™ /
noun
a variable star that undergoes a cataclysmic eruption, observed as a sudden large increase in brightness with a subsequent decline over months or years; it is a close binary system with one component a white dwarf Compare supernova
nova
plural
novaeA white dwarf star that suddenly and temporarily becomes extremely bright as a result of the explosion at its surface of material accreted from an expanding companion star. The material, mostly hydrogen and helium, is attracted by the white dwarf's gravity and accumulates under growing pressure and heat until nuclear fusion is ignited. Unlike a supernova, a nova is not blown apart by the explosion and gradually returns to its original brightness over a period of weeks to years. Because of their sudden appearance where no star had been previously visible, novae were long thought to be new stars. Since 1925, novae have been classified as variable stars.
Compare supernova
Other 51³Ô¹Ï Forms
- novalike adjective
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
Origin of nova1
Example Sentences
Over time, the material it grabs from the other star gets crushed and compressed - until eventually it triggers a nuclear explosion, releasing a huge amount of energy - a process known as going nova.
A nova outburst is expected to take place at some point before September, Robertson said.
The theory suggests a type of stellar explosion known as ONe novae as a major source of phosphorus.
On “Ganger,†his breakout LP, he finds his bearings through all sorts of production styles, from bossa nova to stoner loops to wild vocal treatments, but his laconic delivery hides dense thickets of allusions.
He loved studying the musical influences in the songs, from the “big dollop of bossa nova†that Bacharach often employed to his “incredibly strange and fascinating†harmonies.
Advertisement
Related 51³Ô¹Ïs
- starÌý
When To Use
A nova is a star that temporarily becomes extremely bright and then returns to its original brightness. The plural of nova is novas or novae.A star is an object in outer space that is basically a big bright ball of gas. The Sun is the only star in our solar system.The Sun is a medium-sized star in the middle of its life. When a star the size of our Sun or smaller nears the end of its life, it becomes a white dwarf. A white dwarf is small (for a star) and, because of its size, not very bright. However, a white dwarf is very dense, so it has a strong gravitational pull.In a binary solar system, there are two stars. Sometimes, a white dwarf star in a binary system will pull hydrogen gas from a bigger, neighboring star. Eventually, it may pull so much hydrogen together that it causes an explosion. This explosion causes the white dwarf to become incredibly bright and become what is called a nova.A nova is temporary. Typically, a white dwarf only stays really bright for several days before returning to its original state. The white dwarf may again start pulling hydrogen from its neighbor and eventually again turn into a nova. Each cycle could take anywhere from a thousand to hundreds of thousands of years.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse
