'Cataclysmic' once-in-a-lifetime space explosion set to be visible from Earth this year

It's almost time to point your eyes to the skies, as a massive explosion in space will soon be visible from Earth.

The big time cosmic boom will be visible from our planet, despite being 3,000 light-years away in the heart of deep space.

It'll be the first time in 80 years that the celestial event takes place, truly making it a once in a lifetime event if you want to take advantage of the spectacle.

And the best bit? You won't need any special equipment to see it for yourself.

What's actually happening?

There's going to be massive galactic event with a nearby white dwarf star.

It's orbiting in a system known as the T Coronae Borealis where a giant nova explosion is going to take place.

Also known as T CrB, it was first put in to the record books back in 1866 but observations of it go back to the 1200s.

The last time it exploded in space was in 1946.

CGI of the explosion (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center)

"Seeing that star blow up is much rarer than a solar eclipse," NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said. "So it's kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Why does it happen?

Astronomers think the boom happens due to intense gravitational pull in the system between the white dwarf star and a nearby red giant.

"The stars are close enough that as the red giant becomes unstable from its increasing temperature and pressure and begins ejecting its outer layers, the white dwarf collects that matter onto its surface," NASA says.

"The shallow dense atmosphere of the white dwarf eventually heats enough to cause a runaway thermonuclear reaction – which produces the nova we see from Earth."

View of deep space (Getty Stock Images)

It's described as a 'cataclysmic variable', with it usually not able to be seen with the naked eye until the explosion itself.

When can we see it?

Any moment now. The event could take place from April until September, with astronomers keeping a close eye on the skies.

During the peak of its explosion where it is at its brightest, the event will be visible for a good number of days. So at least you wont have to rush to look outside, especially if it's daylight where you are when it starts.

View of the Orion Nebula, full of free-floating planets (NASA / Hubble Space Telescope)

Will it happen again?

Yes, in 80 years time.

The event is called a nova, rather than a supernova.

This means the explosion wont be the death of the white dwarf star. Instead of this, it'll just collect more mass and material from the nearby red giant ready for a similar boom in eight decades time.