Posted on 12/03/2011 9:56:40 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon's outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became the brightest star in the entire Milky Way Galaxy in January 2002. Then, just as suddenly, it faded. A stellar flash like this has never been seen before. It's true that supernovae and novae expel matter out into space. But while the V838 Mon flash appears to expel material into space, what is seen here is actually an outwardly moving light echo of the bright flash. In a light echo, light from the flash is reflected by successively more distant rings in the ambient interstellar dust that already surrounded the star. V838 Mon lies about 20,000 light years away toward the constellation of Monoceros the unicorn. In this Hubble Space Telescope image from February 2004, the light echo is about six light years in diameter.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: NASA, ESA, H. E. Bond (STScI)]
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Awesome!
Thank You
HAL! That’s some upgrade!
Looks like a magnificent jewel!
Thanks for today’s wallpaper upgrade.
Cracking image.
Sorta like a Republican presidential candidate.
Hmmmm. But have they been to 3 county fairs and 2 goat effings and ain't never seen nutin' like it?
This blows my mind! The article says that in 2002 this star became the brightest in the Milky Way. Since this star is 20,000 light years away the event actually occurred 20,000 years ago. The Wooly Mammoth still had 10,000 years left to roam the earth. The Ice Age was at it’s peak. A lot happened here on Earth between the time this star became bright and the time we saw it. When you gaze into the night sky you’re seeing history. Ancient history. Some of what you see may no longer actually exist and some things may actually exist that we can’t see yet. Everybody finds God in different places, I find him in the stars.
Beautiful, but eerie at the same time.
Now that is cool.
I’m asking Santa for a Hubble for Christmas.
Beautiful, SunkenCiv!
Reminds me a little of the maw that planet eating machine had in an original Star Trek.
That is my Ultimate Favorite APOD PIC!
Thank you all, for the kind remarks.
Doesn’t this remind you of the Mozilla icon?
ha Ha! You are RIGHT! It DOES!
Perhaps.
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Are you trying to start the next Freepathon up a little early??? LOL
LOLOLOL.
Perish the thought!
We’ll be back in business soon enough!
GOOD to see you! Rest up!
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