UPDATE:  SOLVED!  At 4:08 CDT.

There you are; back for another riddle?  This one is easy… you should get it in a few minutes.  I’ve been timing you guys, and last week it took an hour and 25 minutes for Patricia to solve the riddle.  How are you going to do this week?

I know you know this one; it’s probably one of the first “things” of its class you looked at… and I know that when you saw it, you were impressed.

Okay, you know the rules!  I’ve been getting some great subjects about which to post from the people who are solving the riddles, and I am really looking forward to this week’s chosen topic.  Ready?  This object is…

Known for its beauty.

Can be seen with the naked eye.

We are watching the death of this object.

Seen in the Northern Hemisphere in the autumn and early winter.

Thought of as one of the most luminous objects in the galaxy.

This is a single object.

It would take about 4.5 billion suns to equal it (yes, that’s a “b” for “billion”).

It is the prototype for its class.

When it is gone, its gift to us will be a thing of great mystery.

Do you know the answer?  I’m hanging out in the comment section, so give it a shot!