| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| reflection nebula | |
IC 405 captured with Ha, OIII, and SII narrowband filters and processed in the Hubble Palette | |
| Observation data:J2000epoch | |
| 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 |
| See also:Lists of nebulae | |
IC 405 (also known as theFlaming Star Nebula,SH 2-229, orCaldwell 31) is anemission andreflection nebula[1] in the constellationAuriga north of thecelestial equator, surrounding the bluish, irregular variable starAE Aurigae. It shines at magnitude +6.0. Its celestial coordinates are RA05h 16.2m dec +34° 28′.[2] It is located near the emission nebulaIC 410, the open clustersM38 andM36, and the K-class starIota Aurigae.
The nebula measures approximately 37.0' x 19.0', and lies about 1,500light-years away fromEarth.[2] It is believed that the proper motion of the central star can be traced back to theOrion's Belt area.[2] The nebula is about 5light-years across.[1]
