Jan 102017
In short: a contact binary star system (KIC 9832227) 1800 lightyears away in Cygnus has been found to have a possible end-date. The period of the two stars in their mutual orbit has been decreasing (currently about 11 hours), meaning that the stars are spiraling in on each other. If the trend holds, in 2022 they’ll merge, and BLAMMO. This will produce a “red nova” which will be naked-eye visible, perhaps one of the brightest stars in the sky.