| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| reflection nebula | |
 White light image of the Flaming Star Nebula showing the "smoke" of reflection nebula | |
| Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
| Right ascension | 05h 16m 05s |
| Declination | +34° 27′ 49″ |
| Distance | 1500 ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +6.0? |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 37′ × 10′ |
| Constellation | Auriga |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 2.5 ly |
| Designations | Flaming Star Nebula, Caldwell 31, Sharpless 229 |
IC 405 (also known as the Flaming Star Nebula, SH 2-229, or Caldwell 31) is an emission and reflection nebula[1] in the constellation Auriga north of the celestial equator, surrounding the bluish, irregular variable star AE Aurigae. It shines at magnitude +6.0. Its celestial coordinates are RA 05h 16.2m dec +34° 28′.[2] It is located near the emission nebula IC 410, the open clusters M38 and M36, and the K-class star Iota Aurigae.
The nebula measures approximately 37.0' x 19.0', and lies about 1,500 light-years away from Earth.[2] It is believed that the proper motion of the central star can be traced back to the Orion's Belt area.[2] The nebula is about 5 light-years across.[1]
- ^ a b Nemiroff, R.; Bonnell, J., eds. (2003-11-24). "IC 405: The Flaming Star Nebula". Astronomy Picture of the Day. NASA. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
- ^ a b c Darling, David. "Flaming Star Nebula (IC 405)". The Internet Encyclopedia of Science. Retrieved 8 August 2008.