description V838 Monocerotis Overview
V838 Monocerotis is a red variable star located in the constellation Monoceros. In January 2002, it experienced a major outburst, temporarily becoming one of the largest known stars in the Milky Way. This event produced a striking phenomenon known as a light echo, where the flash of light illuminated surrounding dust clouds, an occurrence famously photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope over several years.
insights Ranking position
V838 Monocerotis ranks #34 of 212 in the Star ranking, behind Fomalhaut, ahead of Castor.
help V838 Monocerotis FAQ
What caused V838 Monocerotis to brighten in 2002?
The star underwent an unusual eruptive event beginning in January 2002. A stellar merger is a leading explanation, although the eruption did not behave like a conventional nova.
Was the expanding structure around V838 Monocerotis an explosion shell?
The famous expanding pattern was primarily a light echo, not matter racing outward at the apparent visual speed. Light from the eruption illuminated successive layers of pre-existing dust around the star.
Why did Hubble photograph V838 Monocerotis repeatedly?
Successive Hubble Space Telescope images showed the light echo changing shape as illumination moved through the surrounding dust. The sequence became one of the best-known visual demonstrations of a stellar light echo.
Where in the sky is V838 Monocerotis?
It lies in the constellation Monoceros, whose name means the Unicorn. The object is extremely distant and is not ordinarily a prominent naked-eye star despite its dramatic 2002 outburst.
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