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V838 Mon Light Echo Unveiling
A dissolve sequence of six images taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys shows a CAT-scan-like probe of the three-dimensional structure of the shells of dust surrounding the aging star V838 Monocerotis. The sequence reveals dramatic changes in the way a brilliant flash of light from the star is reflecting off surrounding dusty cloud structures. The effect, called a light echo, has been unveiling never-before-seen dust patterns ever since the star suddenly brightened for several weeks in early 2002.
- Release DateFebruary 3, 2005
- Science ReleaseLight Continues to Echo Three Years After Stellar Outburst
- Credit
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Flash From Star V838 Monocerotis Echoes Through Space
The Hubble Space Telescope's latest image of the star V838 Monocerotis (V838 Mon) reveals dramatic changes in the illumination of surrounding dusty cloud structures. The effect, called a light echo, has been unveiling never-before-seen dust patterns ever since the star suddenly...

The Expanding Light Echo of Red Supergiant Star V838 Monocerotis
This image shows a time sequence of Hubble Space Telescope images of the light echo around V838 Mon, taken between May 2002 and October 2004. All six pictures were taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys using filters sensitive to blue, visible, and infrared wavelengths....
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
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Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov