Ablaze in Auriga: Stunning Shot of the Flaming Star Nebula Around AE Aurigae

Astrophotographer Greg Meyer captured a dramatic long‑exposure view of the Flaming Star Nebula around the runaway star AE Aurigae in Auriga, about 1,500 light-years away. The flame-like glow comes from radiation emitted by AE Aurigae ionizing surrounding hydrogen; the image, captured with a Radian Raptor 61 mm telescope and nearly 21 hours of exposure, was processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop with PixInsight to reveal a sprawling nebula scene that includes the Tadpole Nebula at the bottom.