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| IC 405: The Flaming Star Nebula |
Type: Emission and Reflection Nebula
Constellation: Auriga
Distance: 1500 light years
Dates: 4th. and 9th. December 2019
Equipment: ATIK 460EX with EFW2, Skywatcher f5.5 Esprit 100 ED refractor, Avalon Linear mount, guiding with Lodestar X2/PHD
Subframes: 20 x Red (300s), 20 x Green (300s), 20 x Blue (450s), 40 x 300s H-alpha: no flats/darks (hot pixel removal in Astroart).Equipment: ATIK 460EX with EFW2, Skywatcher f5.5 Esprit 100 ED refractor, Avalon Linear mount, guiding with Lodestar X2/PHD
IC 405 can be found in the constellation Auriga, high in the Orion Milky way in the south-eastern sky during early winter. It was discovered in 1892 by J.M. Schaeberie, M. Wolf and E. von Gothard on photographic plates while investigating Nova Aurigae 1891.
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| Stellarium map showing location of IC 405 |
It is located adjacent in the sky to another nebula, IC410, although the connection is merely a line-of-sight effect as IC 410 is a much more distant object.
The variable star AE Aurigae (indicated on the hydrogen
alpha image below) is thought to be the source of the energy which illuminates
the nebula, whose light is a mixture of fluorescence from ionised gasses (red) and
reflected starlight from surrounding dust (blue).
Measurement of the star’s velocity suggests that it was not formed from this material. Instead, AE Aurigae is believed to have originated in the vicinity of the Trapezium star-forming complex in Orion. The star is thought to have once been part of a binary star system with a massive companion that went supernova, and whose expiry released it from its gravitational anchor, catapulting it from its birthplace around 2.5 million years ago.
Its current velocity of approximately 35 miles per second will carry it through the five light year-wide cloud of gas and dust that forms IC 405 within the next 20,000 years, which will cease to shine once its illuminating star exits the region.
Measurement of the star’s velocity suggests that it was not formed from this material. Instead, AE Aurigae is believed to have originated in the vicinity of the Trapezium star-forming complex in Orion. The star is thought to have once been part of a binary star system with a massive companion that went supernova, and whose expiry released it from its gravitational anchor, catapulting it from its birthplace around 2.5 million years ago.
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| Hydrogen alpha image of IC 405, with AE Aurigae indicated... |
Its current velocity of approximately 35 miles per second will carry it through the five light year-wide cloud of gas and dust that forms IC 405 within the next 20,000 years, which will cease to shine once its illuminating star exits the region.
The Ha frames were gathered in the presence of an 80% gibbous moon located just 30° from the target. The RGB frames had been collected earlier without the bleaching effect of a bright moon. Processing technique is described here.
Some 10 years ago I previously imaged this area with a 135mm camera lens to capture both IC405 and IC 410, and although the image is a low resolution one it does give an indication of their adjacency in the sky.
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