NOVAE
NOVA
nova
(noun) a star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and becomes more luminous in the process
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Noun
novae
plural of nova
Source: Wiktionary
NOVA
No"va (no"va), n.; pl. L. Novæ (-ve), E. Novas (-vaz). [L., fem.
sing. of novus new.] (Astron.)
Definition: A new star, usually appearing suddenly, shining for a brief
period, and then sinking into obscurity. Such appearances are
supposed to result from cosmic collisions, as of a dark star with
interstellar nebulosities. The most important modern novæ are: --
No"va Co*ro"næ Bo`re*a"lis [1866]; No"va Cyg"ni [1876]; No"va
An*dro"me*dæ [1885]; No"va Au*ri"gæ [1891-92]; No"va Per"se*i [1901].
There are two novæ called Nova Persei. They are:
(a) A small nova which appeared in 1881.
(b) An extraordinary nova which appeared in Perseus in 1901. It was
first sighted on February 22, and for one night (February 23) was the
brightest star in the sky. By July it had almost disappeared, after
which faint surrounding nebulous masses were discovered, apparently
moving radially outward from the star at incredible velocity.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition