A Runaway Star in a Cloud of Smoke
The Flaming Star Nebula is unique because of its central star, AE Aurigae. This is a 'runaway star' that was likely ejected from the Orion Nebula region millions of years ago during a collision of multiple star systems. As AE Aurigae barrels through the interstellar medium at high speed, it is passing through a cloud of gas and dust. The star's intense UV radiation ionizes the hydrogen gas (the red 'flames'), while its light also reflects off the surrounding dust (the blue 'smoke'), creating a rare and beautiful combination of both emission and reflection nebulosity.
Imaging Challenges
- • Color Balancing: Combining the deep red H-alpha signal with the delicate blue reflection signal requires careful LRGB or Ha-RGB blending.
- • The Blue 'Smoke': The reflection component is broadband light; if you use a narrow dual-band filter, you will lose almost all of the blue detail.
- • Dynamic Range: AE Aurigae is a very bright star (magnitude 6.0) that can easily drown out the fine filaments of gas immediately surrounding it.