Flaming Star

 About this image.

AE Aurigae is the bright star slightly above and left of center in the image above. Embedded in the cosmic cloud, the hot, variable O-type star energizes the glow of hydrogen along convoluted filaments of atomic gas, its blue starlight scattered by interstellar dust. But AE Aurigae wasn't formed in the nebula it illuminates. Retracing the star's motion through space, astronomers conclude that AE Aurigae was probably born in the Orion Nebula. Close gravitational encounters with other stars ejected it from the region, along with another O star, Mu Columbae, over two million years ago. The runaway stars have drifted in opposite directions ever since, separating at about 200 kilometers per second. The Flaming Star nebula is located in the northern constellation Auriga, the Charioteer.

Text: Courtesy NASA APOD

Equipment

Telescope:                 Planewave 17" CDK f6.8
Mount:                      Paramount ME by Software Bisque
Instrument:               Apogee U16M, Astrodon Filters (Ha-5nm; SII-5nm; OIII-3nm)

Exposure:                  Quad-Colour: SII, Ha, OIII, OIII(+Blue) image consisting of 8:9.5:9.5:6.5 hours for a total of 33.5 hours
Capture Software:       Maxim DL, CCDAutopilot v4
Processing:                Maxim DL/CCD, Photoshop CS5, CCDStack, PixInsight

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