Light from an erupting star illuminates vast clouds of gas and dust in this 2006 view from Hubble Space Telescope. The star V838 Monocerotis erupted in 2002, shining more than 600,000 times brighter than the Sun. As light from the eruption zooms through space, it produces a “light echo” — it lights up surrounding clouds of gas and dust. This allows astronomers to study the environment around the star in detail, while revealing more about the star itself. [NASA/ESA/H. Bond (STScI)]