Flaming Star nebula (IC 405), optical image. This bright region is caused by the fast-moving star AE Aurigae (the bright central star) as it passes th

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Flaming Star nebula (IC 405), optical image. This bright region is caused by the fast-moving star AE Aurigae (the bright central star) as it passes through clouds of dust and gas. The blue areas are regions of reflection nebula, where the material reflects the light of the star. The red regions are areas of emission nebula, which glow as hydrogen gas is ionised by radiation from the star. It is unusual for emission nebula to be generated coincidentally by the meeting of a star and gas cloud; usually the star has been born in the cloud it illuminates. The nebula lies 1600 light years from Earth in the constellation Auriga.

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Size: 3975px × 2629px
Photo credit: © ROBERT GENDLER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 405, ae, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, auriga, aurigae, birth, clouds, dust, emission, evolution, flaming, formation, gas, hii, ic, ionised, nebula, nebulae, nebulosity, reflection, region, runaway, space, star, starbirth, stellar, telescope