Credit & Copyright: Amir Abolfath
(TWAN)
Explanation:
Is star AE Aurigae on fire? No.
Even though
AE Aurigae is named the flaming star,
the surrounding nebula
IC 405 is named the
Flaming Star Nebula, and the region shape gives the appearance of
fire, there is
no
fire.
Fire,
typically defined as the rapid molecular acquisition of
oxygen,
happens only when sufficient oxygen is present and is not important
in such high-energy, low-oxygen environments such as stars.
The material that appears as
smoke is mostly
interstellar hydrogen,
but does contain smoke-like dark filaments of carbon-rich
dust grains.
The bright star
AE Aurigae, visible just to the lower right of the image center, is
so hot it glows blue,
emitting light so energetic it knocks
electrons away from surrounding gas.
When a proton
recaptures an electron, light is emitted, as seen in the surrounding
emission nebula.
Featured here,
the
Flaming Star nebula
lies about 1,500
light years distant, spans about 5
light
years,
and is visible with a small telescope toward the
constellation of
the Charioteer (Auriga).
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AE Aurigae - emission nebula - emissionnaya tumannost'
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