IC 405 and IC 410 nebulae in Auriga
author: E.Mouquet/Novapix
reference: a-nec04-05007
Image Size 300 DPI: 34 * 22 cm
IC 405 (the Flaming Star Nebula), left, lies about 1500 light years distant, spans about 5 light years, and is visible with a small telescope toward the constellation of Auriga. It surrounds the variable star AE Aurigae. AE Aurigae is normally a 5.96 magnitude star of spectral class O. The star AE Aurigae itself is very bright, young, blue, and known as a runaway star since it appears to have been ejected from the Orion Nebula region about 2.5 million years ago. One and a half degree East from the Flaming Star Nebula is located IC 410, a region of faint nebulosity surrounding the open star cluster NGC 1893.