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  • Ville Puoskari

Flames of Auriga

The Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405) is a combination of emission and reflection nebulae in the constellation of Auriga. The nebula is mainly made up of hydrogen but it also contains carbon-rich dust seen in the bluish regions of the image that are illuminated by the star AE Aurigae. This star is a blue O-type main sequence dwarf. It is emitting so much light that it creates a violent bow shock and makes the surrounding nebulosity glow red. AE Aurigae is believed to originate in the trapezium of Messier 42 nebula in the constellation of Orion. It was ejected during a collision of two binary star groups two million years ago.


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