NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope snaps spooky image of a dying star – CNET [CNET]

CW Leonis is located about 400 light-years from Earth, making it our closest carbon star. Hubble has witnessed changes in the material around the star as seen in an animated view of telescope observations between 2001 and 2016.

The cause of the carbon star’s shifts in brightness over a relatively short span of time is still under investigation. “Astronomers speculate that gaps in the dust shrouding CW Leonis may allow beams of starlight to pierce through and illuminate dust, like searchlight beacons through a cloudy sky,” ESA said.

Hubble’s vision is a perfect companion for a Spitzer Space Telescope view of a Godzilla-like nebula that also came out this week. These celestial visual treats are a delightful way to mark Halloween.