101 Must-See Cosmic Objects: Flaming Star Nebula

John Martin Schaeberle discovered IC 405 near the end of the 19th century. The object was independently spotted shortly after by astrophotographers Max Wolf and Eugen von Gothard. It’s located in Auriga, a constellation better known for its wealth of open clusters, but whose nebulae are often overlooked.

Also known as the Flaming Star Nebula, this object is a combination of emission and reflection nebulae illuminated by the unusual variable star AE Aurigae. The nebula is a large 37′ by 1