Monocerotis Research Paper

Monocerotis lies at a distance of 20,000 light years from the sun and was once 60,000 times brighter than the sun. Monocerotis is classified as a red colored variable star whose brightness changes either regularly or irregularly. V838 Monocerotis was first discovered as a brightening star by Nicholas J. Brown in Australia while he photographed an area of the sky as a part of a nova patrol (Cowen). As Brown looked at the images he had taken of the same area in the night sky for days, he noticed a very bright star that was not previously there. However, within days the star faded, fitting the pattern of a Nova; a common type of outburst. This event allowed astronomers to believe the star was nothing extraordinary; that was until the variable
The typical characteristics of the born-again phenomena include an abrupt and significant increase in light, a significant decrease in temperature, and rapid changes in surface structure. The born-age phenomena, or BA, has been used to explain the increase and decrease of light and temperatures from three other interstellar outbursts all occurring at different phases of the phenomena. These three objects include FG Sagittae in constellation, V605 Aquilae, and lastly Sakurai's Object. FG Sagittae is from constellation Sagittae and is similar to V838 Monocerotis because it has been changing composition and becoming cooler since 1880. V605 Aquilae had an outburst in 1917 and took approximately two years to begin moving towards cooler temperatures. Sakurai’s Object belongs to the same constellation as FG Sagittae and was first observed in 1994. Sakurai brightened and cooled over six years at a different time than the two previous objects (qtd. in Lawlor). All three objects had a burst of light and had a significance increase in temperature; however, the objects later cooled and have not had an eruption since. In his article, Lawlor believes V838 Monocerotis was photographed after going through a BA phase that occurs rapidly fast and was missed by the three previously recorded objects. Yet, V838 Monocerotis