Star V838 Monocerotis: A Hubble Image Tour

In January 2002, a deceptively ordinary star suddenly flashed to at least 4,000 times its previous brightness. For several weeks, the red supergiant star V838 Monocerotis was the most brilliant star in the Milky Way.

Explore the science along with the scenery – Image Tours show Hubble pictures through an astronomer's eyes, pinpointing and explaining key features to add understanding to the joy of cosmic sightseeing.