luminous red nova (LRN) novâ-ye sorx-e tâbân, now-axtar-e ~ ~ Fr.: nova rouge lumineuse A stellar explosion thought to be caused by the → merger of stars in a → binary system. They are characterized by a distinct red color, and a → light curve that lingers with resurgent brightness in the → infrared. The luminosity of the explosion is between that of a → supernova and a → nova. |