V838 Monocerotis, acrylic on panel, 16 x 20. In private collection.
In January 2002, this variable star, 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros, flared to 600,000 times the luminosity of the Sun. It faded again soon, and astronomers aren't positive exactly what caused its outburst. During the event, V838 Monocerotis didn't shed its outermost layers (as most stars would). Instead, it expanded to a huge size and its surface temperature dropped to about the temperature of a light bulb. What we see here is a light echo from the outburst that re-illuminates the surrounding dust shells it had shed years before.
