T Coronae Borealis, famously known as the 'Blaze Star,' is a recurrent nova located in the constellation Corona Borealis. In its quiescent state, it sits at a magnitude of approximately 10.2, meaning it is invisible to the naked eye and requires 7x50 binoculars or a small telescope to observe. Through typical suburban skies, the star appears as a faint, unremarkable point of light. However, its significance lies in its history of sudden outbursts, where it can briefly rival the brightness of the North Star. To find it, you must first master the 'C' shape of the Northern Crown.
Standard 7x50 or 10x50 binoculars are ideal for locating T Coronae Borealis. A small telescope with a wide-field eyepiece will also work well, though the star's lack of color and faintness in its current state makes it easy to overlook without a precise star chart.
Under suburban light pollution, the constellation Corona Borealis often disappears, leaving only its brightest star, Alphecca, visible. You will need binoculars to trace the 'C' shape. In dark-sky conditions, the crown is easily identifiable as a distinct semi-circle of stars between Boötes and Hercules.
Alphecca is the dominant, bright star (magnitude 2.2) in the center of the constellation's arc. T Coronae Borealis is significantly fainter (magnitude 10.2) and is located well to the east of Alphecca, just outside the main 'C' curve.
If the crown is invisible to your naked eye, use binoculars to sweep the area between Arcturus and the constellation Hercules. The binoculars will reveal the fainter stars of the crown, allowing you to use Epsilon Coronae Borealis as your final jumping-off point.
Yes. During a recurrent nova event, T Coronae Borealis can brighten to magnitude 2.0, making it as bright as Alphecca and changing the appearance of the constellation by adding a 'new' bright star to the eastern edge of the crown.
Updated: 2026-09-05