Is star AE Aurigae on fire? No. Even though
AE Aurigae is named the Flaming Star and the surrounding nebula IC 405 is named the
Flaming Star Nebula, and even though the nebula appears to some like a swirling flame, 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 bright star
AE Aurigae occurs near the center of the Flaming Star Nebula and 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.
Captured here three weeks ago, the
Flaming Star Nebula is visible near the composite image's center, between the red Tadpole Nebula on the left and blue-tailed Comet ZTF on the right. 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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