Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405 / Sharpless 2-229 / Caldwell 31)
- Type: Emission/Reflection Nebula
- Distance: Approximately 1,500 light years from Earth
- Size: Roughly 5 light years across
- Apparent size: 37 x 19 arc minutes
- Apparent magnitude: 6.0
- Age: Unknown
- Constellation: Auriga
The Flaming Star Nebula is an emission and reflection nebula. It can be found in the constellation Auriga in the northern sky, which is visible at night 11 months out of the year from my location. The nebula is about 1500 light years from Earth and measures about 5 light years across.
The star AE Aurigae, which excites the gasses in the Flaming Star Nebula, has an interesting story. AE Aurigae is thought to have been born near where the Trapezium now exists in the constellation of Orion. The Trapezium is a young group of stars found at the core of the Orion Nebula. AE Aurigae is thought to have been hurled away from it's birthplace by either a supernova or by the gravitation interactions of binary star pairs. There are two other known runaway stars that are thought to share a similar story, Mu Columbae found in the southern sky and 53 Arietis in the northern sky. These three stars currently occupy different parts of the night sky, but probably originated in the same stellar nursery.
This image really needs more integration time, but I won't get time for a while so I figured I might as well process what I have now.
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