On June 12, 2021, amateur astronomer Seiji Ueda from Japan made a groundbreaking discovery when he found Nova Herculis 2021 (V1674 Herculis). This white dwarf nova rapidly increased in brightness, becoming visible to the naked eye and reaching a peak 10,000 times brighter than its original state. What made this event truly remarkable was its unprecedented speed - V1674 Herculis faded back to normal in just over a day, setting a new record as the fastest nova ever observed.
Researchers believe that V1674 Herculis is part of an intermediate polar system, where a white dwarf pulls in material from its companion star into an accretion disk. The nova also exhibited an unusual phenomenon known as a 'wobble,' with a pulsing light cycle every 501 seconds, adding to its intrigue for scientists studying this event.
Source: Astronomy Magazine
