Photograph
The Flaming Star (IC 405) and Tadpoles (IC 410) Nebulae
A cosmic dance of fire and ice in the constellation Auriga, located thousands of light-years away. On the left, the Flaming Star Nebula glows with the energy of a captured runaway star, whose light literally ignites the surrounding hydrogen. On the right, the Tadpoles Nebula reveals giant dust structures sculpted by powerful stellar winds, resembling celestial tadpoles swimming through the dark toward the core of a new star cluster.
Beyond the frame
The two nebulae in the frame appear connected, but they lie at different distances and tell different stories. AE Aurigae, beside the Flaming Star Nebula, is a fast-moving runaway star expelled from its birthplace after a gravitational encounter. The Tadpoles on the other side are dense clouds being sculpted by the young cluster NGC 1893. One image brings together a chance encounter and an active stellar nursery.