Flaiming Star Nebula

IC 405, also Sharpless 229 (Sh2-229), Caldwell 31 and The Flaming Star Nebula, is an emission/reflection nebula in the constellation Auriga. The huge ripples of dust and gas reminds us of a flaming fireplace and thus the nickname. The nebula surrounds the intensely bright star AE Aurigae which blasts out its light at magnitude +6.0. The Flaming Star is about 1,500 light-years away, almost the exact distance to the more famous Orion Nebula (M42). This nebula is about 5 light-years across. This image taken through Hydrogen Alpha filters to give it sharpness and detail. Imaged with TMB 152 and SBIG ST-10XME