Object Name:

V838 Monocerotis

Object Description:

Nova-like variable star and surrounding light echo

Position (J2000):

R.A. 07h 04m 04.8s
Dec. –03° 50' 50"

Constellation:

Monoceros

Distance:

The star is ~20,000 light-years (~6 kiloparsecs) away.

Data Description:

This image was created from HST data from the following proposals: 10618 and 10913: H. Bond (STScI), R. Wagner (University of Arizona), R. White (STScI), R. Corradi (Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos), L. Crause (University of Cape Town), M. Dopita (Australian National University), A. Henden (United States Naval Observatory), Z. Levay (STScI), U. Munari (Universita di Padova), N. Panagia (STScI/ESA), W. Sparks (STScI), S. Starrfield (Arizona State University), and B. Sugerman (STScI).

Instrument:

ACS/WFC

Exposure Date:

September 9, 2006

Filters:

F606W (V) and F814W (I)

Image Credit:

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Release Date:

November 27 , 2006

Color:

This image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the WFPC2 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope using several different filters. Two filters were used to sample broad wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are:

Orientation/Scale: