▁it ▁is ▁only ▁ ▁away . ▁F ain ter ▁still ▁is ▁P SS ▁ 5 4 4 - 7 , ▁an ▁eigh teenth - m agn itude ▁red ▁d war f ▁around ▁ 2 0 ▁percent ▁the ▁mass ▁of ▁the ▁Sun , ▁located ▁ ▁from ▁Earth . ▁First ▁noticed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁it ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁can non ball ▁star , ▁shot ▁out ▁of ▁a ▁star ▁cluster ▁and ▁now ▁moving ▁rapidly ▁through ▁space ▁directly ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁gal actic ▁disc . ▁ ▁The ▁W Z ▁S agit ta e - type ▁d war f ▁nova ▁D Y ▁Can is ▁Minor is ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁VS X ▁J 0 7 4 7 2 7 . 6 + 0 6 5 0 5 0 ) ▁fla red ▁up ▁to ▁magnitude ▁ 1 1 . 4 ▁over ▁January ▁and ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁before ▁dro pping ▁eight ▁magn itudes ▁to ▁around ▁ 1 9 . 5 ▁over ▁approximately ▁ 8 0 ▁days . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁remote ▁binary ▁star ▁system ▁where ▁a ▁white ▁d war f ▁and ▁low ▁mass ▁star ▁orbit ▁each ▁other ▁close ▁enough ▁for ▁the ▁former ▁star ▁to ▁draw ▁material ▁off ▁the ▁latter ▁and ▁form ▁an ▁acc ret ion ▁disc . ▁This ▁material ▁builds ▁up ▁until ▁it ▁er u pts ▁dram atically . ▁ ▁Deep - sky ▁objects ▁▁ ▁The ▁Mil ky ▁Way ▁passes ▁through ▁much ▁of ▁Can is ▁Minor , ▁yet ▁it ▁has ▁few ▁deep - sky ▁objects . ▁William ▁H ersch el ▁recorded