A nova is the strong, rapid increase in the brightness of a star. The word comes from the latin for "new star," because often a star previously too dim to be seen with the naked eye can become the brightest object in the sky (besides the sun and the moon) when it becomes a nova. Texas Novas encourages its members to be Novas by shining their light on and off campus. Texas Novas strives to create an environment that fosters this behavior.