Astronomy Picture of the Day

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                2019 March 26
                                      [2]
                    AE Aurigae and the Flaming Star Nebula
            Image Credit & Copyright: Amir Abolfath [3] (TWAN [4] )

Explanation: Is star AE Aurigae on fire? No. Even though AE Aurigae [5]  is
named the flaming star, the surrounding nebula IC 405 [6]  is named the
Flaming Star Nebula [7] , and the region shape gives the appearance of fire
[8] , there is no fire [9] . Fire [10] , typically defined as the rapid
molecular acquisition of oxygen [11] , happens only when sufficient oxygen is
present and is not important in such high-energy, low-oxygen environments such
as stars. The material that appears as smoke [12]  is mostly interstellar
hydrogen [13] , but does contain smoke-like dark filaments of carbon-rich dust
grains [14] . The bright star AE Aurigae [15] , visible just to the lower
right of the image center, is so hot it glows blue [16] , emitting light so
energetic it knocks electrons [17]  away from surrounding gas. When a proton
[18] recaptures an electron, light is emitted, as seen in the surrounding
emission nebula [19] . Featured here [20] , the Flaming Star nebula [21]  lies
about 1,500 light years [22]  distant, spans about 5 light years [23] , and is
visible with a small telescope toward the constellation [24]  of the
Charioteer [25]  (Auriga).

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                        Tomorrow's picture: stardusty

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [41] (MTU [42] ) & Jerry Bonnell [43]
                                  (UMCP [44] )
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1903/IC405_Abolfath_3171.jpg
  [3] http://amir.torgheh.ir/about.php
  [4] http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/index.asp
  [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AE_Aurigae
  [6] ap031124.html
  [7] http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/F/F...
  [8] ap180826.html
  [9]
https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/News-a...
Reporters-Guide-to-Fire-and-NFPA/Key-Fire-Safety-Tips
  [10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire
  [11] http://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  [12] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UlsArvbTeo
  [13] ap010113.html
  [14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_dust
  [15] http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0686...
  [16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igDZ8CMWq1k
  [17] http://www.aip.org/history/electron/
  [18] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton
  [19] emission_nebulae.html
  [20] http://amir.torgheh.ir/picture.php?/1155/cate...
  [21] http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004ApJ...616.....
  [22] http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_dista...
  [23]
https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/Numbers/Mat...
how_long_is_a_light_year.htm
  [24]
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellatio...
  [25] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auriga_(constell...
  [26] https://www.instagram.com/astronomypicturesda...
  [27] https://www.facebook.com/AstronomyPictureOfTh...
  [28] https://www.reddit.com/r/apod
  [29] http://twitter.com/apod/
  [30] ap190325.html
  [31] archivepix.html
  [32] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [33] lib/aptree.html
  [34] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
  [35] calendar/allyears.html
  [36] /apod.rss
  [37] lib/edlinks.html
  [38] lib/about_apod.html
  [39] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
  [40] ap190327.html
  [41] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [42] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [43] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
  [44] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [45] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [46] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
  [47] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [48] https://www.nasa.gov/
  [49] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [50] http://www.mtu.edu/

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