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An energetic stellar outburst accompanied by circumstellar light echoes

Nature volume 422, pages 405–408 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Some classes of stars, including novae and supernovae, undergo explosive outbursts that eject stellar material into space. In 2002, the previously unknown variable star V838 Monocerotis brightened suddenly by a factor of ∼104. Unlike a supernova or nova, it did not explosively eject its outer layers; rather, it simply expanded to become a cool supergiant with a moderate-velocity stellar wind. Superluminal light echoes were discovered1,2 as light from the outburst propagated into the surrounding, pre-existing circumstellar dust. Here we report high-resolution imaging and polarimetry of those light echoes, which allow us to set direct geometric distance limits to the object. At a distance of >6 kpc, V838 Mon at its maximum brightness was temporarily the brightest star in the Milky Way. The presence of the circumstellar dust implies that previous eruptions have occurred, and spectra show it to be a binary system. When combined with the high luminosity and unusual outburst behaviour, these characteristics indicate that V838 Mon represents a hitherto unknown type of stellar outburst, for which we have no completely satisfactory physical explanation.

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Figure 1: Multicolour light curves of the outburst of V838 Mon.
Figure 2: HST images of the light echoes.
Figure 3: Measured and predicted apparent angular expansion rates of rings seen in the light echoes.

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Acknowledgements

This Letter is based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc. under a NASA contract. We thank the Space Telescope Science Institute for awarding Director's Discretionary Observing Time for this project, and for support. S.S. was supported, in part, by NSF and NASA grants to Arizona State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, Maryland, 21218, USA

    Howard E. Bond, Zoltan G. Levay, Nino Panagia & William B. Sparks

  2. Universities Space Research Association & US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, PO Box 1149, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86002, USA

    Arne Henden

  3. US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station, PO Box 1149

    Arne Henden

  4. Space Telescope Division, On assignment from the European Space Agency,

    Nino Panagia

  5. Department of Physics & Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-1504, USA

    Sumner Starrfield

  6. Astronomy, Arizona State University,

    Sumner Starrfield

  7. Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA

    R. Mark Wagner

  8. Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Apartado de Correos 321, Santa Cruz, 38700, de La Palma, Canarias, Spain

    R. L. M. Corradi

  9. INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Sede di Asiago, 36012, Asiago (VI), Italy

    U. Munari

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  1. Howard E. Bond
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Correspondence to Howard E. Bond.

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Bond, H., Henden, A., Levay, Z. et al. An energetic stellar outburst accompanied by circumstellar light echoes. Nature 422, 405–408 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01508

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