Astrophotographer captures the 'Flaming Star Nebula' ablaze in deep-space (photo)

Swirls of red and orange gas fill a deep space starry background with a glowing ball of blue light at the bottom of the image. — The "Flaming Star Nebula" captured by astrophotographer Greg Meyer. (Image credit: Greg Meyer)

Astrophotographer Greg Meyer has captured a magnificent view of the Flaming Star Nebula blazing in the night sky some 1,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Auriga, the Charioteer.

AE Aurigae is a so-called runaway star. Scientists think it was born in the Trapezium cluster at the heart of the Orion Nebula, before being forcefully ejected following an interaction with a binary-star system some 1.5 million years ago, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

ZWO ASI533MC Pro

A product photo of the ZWO ASI1533MC Pro Camera — (Image credit: Amazon)

The ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera is the best dedicated astro camera out there, in our opinion. It features zero amp glow, 80% quantum efficiency and a 20FPS frame rate. It also features a 9MP sensor and you can check out our ZWO ASI533MC Pro review for a more in-depth look.

The bottom of the image is dominated by the "Tadpole Nebula" (IC410), which resembles a blue cosmic pond in the false-color image. Two tadpole-shaped columns of yellow dust and gas appear to swim towards the nebula's glowing center, sculpted by stellar winds and radiation from nearby young stars.

Meyer captured the scene in mid-January using a Radian Raptor 61 mm telescope paired with an astronomy camera and filters, plus supporting peripherals while under dark Arizona skies.

Just under 21 hours' worth of light data was collected and then compiled using a combination of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and the specialized astrophotography software PixInsight. The payoff? A sprawling nebula scene stretching light-years in diameter, revealed in extraordinary detail far beyond what the human eye can see.

Inspired to start your own astrophotography journey? Then be sure to read our guides to the best cameras and lenses for capturing the night sky. While you're at it why not also peruse our picks of the best telescopes for astrophotography.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Anthony Wood joined Space.com in April 2025 after contributing articles to outlets including IGN, New Atlas and Gizmodo. He has a passion for the night sky, science, Hideo Kojima, and human space exploration, and can’t wait for the day when astronauts once again set foot on the moon.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.