V854 Cen decline spectra at different offsets from the central object (see inset) and at maximum light (bottom spectrum). During a decline, the absorption spectrum converts into an emission spectrum, the strongest emission lines being the Na I D doublet. The progressive eclipsing of narrow emission lines during the decline, but not the broad lines, implies that the broad line emission is more extended (Clayton 1996). Additionally, a sequence of unidentified emission features is clearly detected between 5800 and 5860 Å, at 6617 Å, and at 8692 Å. The narrow Y II λ6614 emission line has been removed from the 1.6″ and 2.0″ offset spectra for plotting purposes. The absorption lines near 5800 and 5854 Å are due to C I and Ba II, respectively.