Illustration of V838 Monocerotis by Martina Pepiciello.
The brightness of stars can vary over time. Some temporarily increase in brightness for several days or weeks. Others have periodic changes in brightness that can be measured over years. A great example of stars with variable brightness is V838 Monocerotis, a binary star system in the constellation Monoceros about 19,000 light years from the Sun.
In early 2002, V838 Monocerotis temporarily increased in brightness to become 600,000 times brighter than the Sun. The reason for the outburst is still uncertain, but it could be related to stellar death processes and a merger of a binary star or planets.
Researchers observed this system over several years using the Hubble Space Telescope. They were able to trace the light emitted by the star as it traveled away through layers of surrounding dust. The reflection of the light by interstellar dust is an example of a light echo.
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