Enigmatic Eruption

The strange case of V838 Monocerotis

An erupting star near the outskirts of the Milky Way has become one of the most puzzling objects in the galaxy. The star’s outburst has set aglow a never-before-seen array of dust eddies, shells, and spirals—a cosmic portrait reminiscent of the whirling patterns of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”