The bright southern hemisphere star RS Puppis, at the center of the image, is swaddled in a gossamer cocoon of reflective dust illuminated by the glittering star. The super star is ten times more massive than our Sun and 200 times larger.

RS Puppis rhythmically brightens and dims over a six-week cycle. It is one of the most luminous in the class of so-called Cepheid variable stars. Its average intrinsic brightness is 15,000 times greater than our Sun's luminosity.

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NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-Hubble/Europe Collaboration;
Acknowledgment: H. Bond (STScI and Pennsylvania State University)