Artistic rendering of e-Aurigae system.

The bright star Epsilon Aurigae, visible to the naked eye in the northern hemisphere, has long puzzled scientists because of a 27-year cycle of dimming and brightening. This suggested that it was an eclipsing binary system. However, the spectral signature of the bright component, suggesting that it was a supermassive giant star, made it difficult to build a model that would account for what might be eclipsing it. Now, the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope may have put the mystery to rest with some ingenious observation techniques.

[Does anyone, apart from my friend abby, whom I have to thank for sending me many such links, enjoy these arcane astronomical items?]