# How Can I View KIC 9832227?

I've heard that KIC 9832227 is a contact binary star system that is expected to merge and explode as a "red nova" sometime in the next ~5 years or so.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/01/colliding-stars-will-light-night-sky-2022

Before that happens, I'd like to see it. Where would I need to be / what sort of equipment would I need in order to be able to view this before it goes nova?

• Just to be clear, as many people new to astronomy (don't know your experience) don't understand these things, but KIC 9832227 is 1843 light years away and you won't see anything but a single point of light optically (not two points of light, as "binary" may give the contrary impression). – StephenG May 5 '17 at 12:59

It is hard to give an exact spec. There is a formula: $m=\log_{10}(D)\times 5 + 7$ which calculates the limiting magnitude $m$, from the diameter of the mirror in cm $D$. This suggests you need at least 13cm mirror. However it assumes clear and stable skies, so in practice you would need something clearly in excess of that.