2022 June 26

2022 June 26

Light Echoes from V838 Mon Image Credit: NASA, ESA, H. E. Bond (STScI)

Explanation: What caused this outburst of V838 Mon? For reasons unknown, star V838 Mon’s outer surface suddenly greatly expanded with the result that it became one of the brighter stars in the Milky Way Galaxy in early 2002. Then, just as suddenly, it shrunk and faded. A stellar flash like this had never been seen before – supernovas and novas expel matter out into space. Although the V838 Mon flash appears to expel material into space, what is seen in the featured image from the Hubble Space Telescope is actually an outwardly expanding light echo of the original flash. In a light echo, light from the flash is reflected by successively more distant surfaces in the complex array of ambient interstellar dust that already surrounded the star. V838 Mon lies about 20,000 light years away toward the constellation of the unicorn (Monoceros), while the light echo above spans about six light years in diameter.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220626.html

the highlight of my day was dr. dentist saying, "I don't see any cavities," which did feel like winning the appointment, tbh

If you guys were on here at 11 years old what would you be posting about

is 2,000 km (1,300 miles) too far to travel in ~50 hours? find out in zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Jen Caywood (based Bellingham, WA, USA) - The End, 2021, Paintings: Digital Art