There is a relatively new class of stars that produce a blast of light for no known reason. V838 Mon is one of these and there is at least one other, so maybe now there are four total.

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.