The Flaming Star Nebula is a striking celestial object that surrounds the bright star AE Aurigae. It is composed of both glowing gas and dust, creating a unique visual spectacle. The nebula’s distinctive appearance is due to the interaction between the hot, blue star and the surrounding gas and dust. Interestingly, AE Aurigae is believed to be a runaway star, having been ejected from its original birthplace in the Orion Nebula region.
Names and Catalog numbers
- Flaming Star Nebula
- IC 405
- Sharpless 229
- Caldwell 31
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
Sharpless 229 is situated in the northern part of Auriga, near the border with Taurus. It lies in a rich region of the Milky Way, surrounded by other notable deep-sky objects such as the Pinwheel Cluster (M36) and the open clusters M38 and M37. The nebula is part of a larger molecular cloud complex in the Perseus Arm of our galaxy.
Nice to Know
- The central star, AE Aurigae, is moving through the nebula at high speed, creating a bow shock as it interacts with the surrounding gas.
- The nebula’s reddish glow is primarily due to hydrogen-alpha emission, while the blue tint comes from reflected starlight off dust particles.
- Astrophotographers often capture this nebula using narrowband filters to enhance its intricate structures and colors.
- Despite its visual prominence in long-exposure photographs, the Flaming Star Nebula is challenging to observe visually due to its low surface brightness.
Brightness, distance and size
Sharpless 229 has an apparent magnitude of about +10, making it a relatively faint object for visual observation. It is located approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth, though estimates vary. The nebula spans about 5 light-years across, which translates to an angular size of roughly 30 by 20 arcminutes in the night sky, making it a moderately sized nebula for astrophotography.
