Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

AE Aurigae: The Flaming Star

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 4, 2001 is “AE Aurigae: The Flaming Star,” an image. It is credited to Credit: T. A. Rector & B. A. Wolpa, NOAO , AURA, NSF. The original explanation runs about 138 words.

AE Aurigae: The Flaming Star
Credit: T. A. Rector & B. A. Wolpa, NOAO , AURA, NSF Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Is star AE Aurigae on fire? Although surrounded by what may look like smoke , the object known as the “flaming star” creates energy primarily by nuclear fusion , like other stars.”

— APOD editors, December 4, 2001

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 4, 2001
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: T. A. Rector & B. A. Wolpa, NOAO , AURA, NSF
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 138 words

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On this day: December 4 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.