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.
AE Aurigae is moving so fast that it is 'just passing through' this nebula; it did not form here and will eventually leave the nebula behind as it continues its journey through the galaxy.