AE Aurigae
Encyclopedia
AE Aurigae is a runaway star in the constellation
Auriga
; it lights the Flaming Star Nebula.
AE Aurigae is a blue O-type
main sequence dwarf
with a mean apparent magnitude
of +5.99. It is classified as an Orion type
variable star
and its brightness varies irregularly between magnitudes +5.78 and +6.08. It is approximately 1460 light-years from Earth
. It is a runaway star that might have been ejected during a collision of two binary star groups. This collision, which also is credited with ejecting Mu Columbae
and 53 Arietis
, has been traced to the Trapezium cluster
in the Orion Nebula
two million years ago.
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Auriga
Auriga (constellation)
Auriga is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for 'charioteer' and its stars form a shape that has been associated with the pointed helmet of a charioteer. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains among the 88 modern...
; it lights the Flaming Star Nebula.
AE Aurigae is a blue O-type
Stellar classification
In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...
main sequence dwarf
Main sequence
The main sequence is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness. These color-magnitude plots are known as Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams after their co-developers, Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell...
with a mean apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
of +5.99. It is classified as an Orion type
Orion variable
An Orion variable is a variable star which exhibits irregular and eruptive variations in its luminosity and is typically associated with diffuse nebulae. It is thought that these are young stars which will later become regular, non-variable stars on the zero-age main sequence...
variable star
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
and its brightness varies irregularly between magnitudes +5.78 and +6.08. It is approximately 1460 light-years from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. It is a runaway star that might have been ejected during a collision of two binary star groups. This collision, which also is credited with ejecting Mu Columbae
Mu Columbae
Mu Columbae is a star in the constellation of Columba. It is one of the few O-class stars that is visible to the unaided eye. The star is known to lie approximately 1,300 light years from our solar system .This is a relatively fast rotating star that completes a full revolution approximately every...
and 53 Arietis
53 Arietis
53 Arietis is a variable star of Beta Cephei type, alternatively denoted UW Arietis, in the constellation Aries. Its mean apparent magnitude is 6.13 and its spectral type is O or early B. It is a runaway star, thought to have been produced as a consequence of one of a pair of binary stars colliding...
, has been traced to the Trapezium cluster
Trapezium (astronomy)
The Trapezium, or Orion Trapezium Cluster is a tight open cluster of stars in the heart of the Orion Nebula, in the constellation of Orion. It was discovered by Galileo Galilei. On February 4, 1617 he sketched three of the stars , but missed the surrounding nebulosity...
in the Orion Nebula
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light...
two million years ago.
Components
| NAME | Right ascension Right ascension Right ascension is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system. The other coordinate is the declination.-Explanation:... |
Declination Declination In astronomy, declination is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. Declination in astronomy is comparable to geographic latitude, but projected onto the celestial sphere. Declination is measured in degrees north and... |
Apparent magnitude Apparent magnitude The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere... (V) |
Spectral type | Database references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADS 3843 B (BD+34 980B) | 05h 16m 18.1s | +34° 18' 49 | 8.8 | Simbad |