Light echoes around RS Puppis (labelled)

This time-lapse video uses observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope over a number of weeks to show the variable star RS Puppis and its environment. A stunning example of a phenomenon known as a light echo can be seen around the star, creating the illusion of gas clouds expanding out from RS Puppis.

The observations were taken between over a period of five weeks in 2010, and capture the variable star at different stages in its roughly 41-day cycle. The dates for each image are overlaid on this video, at the bottom left corner. The short video is repeated several times to emphasise the light echo mechanism more clearly.