Rare Nova Star Explosion is Visible to the Unaided Eye - Where to Look

Every 20 years, more or less, a thermonuclear explosion occurs on the surface of RS Oph, a white dwarf in the constellation Ophiuchus. Yesterday it happened again. On Aug. 8th, the brightness of the tiny star increased 600-fold, from magnitude 12 to 5. At 5th magnitude, the current outburst is visible to the unaided eye, albeit just barely. Binoculars or a telescope will allow you to see it with ease. Ophiuchus hangs high in the southern sky after sunset just above the more familiar constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius. RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph) is a recurrent nova system approximately 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus. More info here: