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Created page with "{{Night Sky | image = | designation =NGC 2024<br/>Sharpless 277 | rightascension =05<sup>h</sup> 41<sup>m</sup> 54<sup>s</sup> | declination =-01° 51..."
{{Night Sky
| image =
| designation =[[NGC]] 2024<br/>Sharpless 277
| rightascension =05<sup>h</sup> 41<sup>m</sup> 54<sup>s</sup>
| declination =-01° 51′ 0.0″
| distance =1,350 ly<ref name=constellation-guide>[http://www.constellation-guide.com/flame-nebula/ Flame nebula] from constellation-guide.com</ref>
| constellation =Orion
| type =Emission nebula
| dimensions =30' x 30'<ref name=constellation-guide/>
| magnitude =Apparent Mag: +2<ref name=constellation-guide/><br/>Absolute Mag: -6.1<ref>From definition of absolute magnitude, using apparent magnitude (+2) and distance (1,350 ly) given here.</ref>
| redshift =0.000029<ref name=simbad>[http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=NGC+2024&submit=submit+id NGC 2024] from simbad.u-strasbg.fr</ref>
| radvelocity =8.65 km/s<ref name=constellation-guide/><ref name=simbad/>
| propmotion =
| parallax =
}}
The '''Flame nebula''' (NGC 2024, Sharpless 277) is an [[emission nebula]] found in the [[constellation]] of [[Orion]]. It is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which is also home to other famous nebulae such as the [[Orion nebula]] and the [[Horsehead nebula]].<ref name=constellation-guide/> Discovered in 1786 by [[William Herschel]], it is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.<ref name=skyfactory>[http://www.skyfactory.org/ngc2024/index.php NGC 2024 the Flame nebula] from skyfactory.org</ref> It is best seen from the Northern hemisphere in winter.
==Properties and Structure==
The nebula is thought to be 1,350 [[light year]]s away and so its apparent size of 30 x 30 arcminutes corresponds to a physical size of around 12 light years.<ref name=constellation-guide/> The nebula is thought to have a mass of around 20 [[solar mass]]es. A large dust lane in the foreground obscures part of the nebula.
The Flame nebula is illuminated primarily by the light of the easternmost star on Orion's belt, [[Zeta Orionis|Alnitak]] (Zeta Orionis). Alnitak is in reality a system of [[star]]s, a [[supergiant|blue supergiant]] and two smaller companions of the fourth magnitude.<ref name=constellation-guide/> With an absolute [[star magnitude|magnitude]] of -6.0, Zeta Orionis is the most luminous O type star in the night sky and 35,000 times brighter than the [[Sun]].<ref name=skyfactory/> The large amount of dust surrounding the star makes it appear 4 billion times dimmer than it really is.<ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2317.html The Flame Nebula] from nasa.gov</ref> The [[Chandra|Chandra X-ray Observatory]] and the [[Spitzer Space Telescope]] among other telescopes have determined the nebula contains a cluster of hot stars, 86% of which have circumstellar disks. These telescopes observe in the [[x-ray]] and [[infrared]] regions of the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] so were not affected by dust in the foreground. These are disks of material, mostly dust and gas, that surround the star and are often [[torus|toroidal]] (doughnut shaped) or flat in shape.
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Nebulae}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Nebulae]]
| image =
| designation =[[NGC]] 2024<br/>Sharpless 277
| rightascension =05<sup>h</sup> 41<sup>m</sup> 54<sup>s</sup>
| declination =-01° 51′ 0.0″
| distance =1,350 ly<ref name=constellation-guide>[http://www.constellation-guide.com/flame-nebula/ Flame nebula] from constellation-guide.com</ref>
| constellation =Orion
| type =Emission nebula
| dimensions =30' x 30'<ref name=constellation-guide/>
| magnitude =Apparent Mag: +2<ref name=constellation-guide/><br/>Absolute Mag: -6.1<ref>From definition of absolute magnitude, using apparent magnitude (+2) and distance (1,350 ly) given here.</ref>
| redshift =0.000029<ref name=simbad>[http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=NGC+2024&submit=submit+id NGC 2024] from simbad.u-strasbg.fr</ref>
| radvelocity =8.65 km/s<ref name=constellation-guide/><ref name=simbad/>
| propmotion =
| parallax =
}}
The '''Flame nebula''' (NGC 2024, Sharpless 277) is an [[emission nebula]] found in the [[constellation]] of [[Orion]]. It is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which is also home to other famous nebulae such as the [[Orion nebula]] and the [[Horsehead nebula]].<ref name=constellation-guide/> Discovered in 1786 by [[William Herschel]], it is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.<ref name=skyfactory>[http://www.skyfactory.org/ngc2024/index.php NGC 2024 the Flame nebula] from skyfactory.org</ref> It is best seen from the Northern hemisphere in winter.
==Properties and Structure==
The nebula is thought to be 1,350 [[light year]]s away and so its apparent size of 30 x 30 arcminutes corresponds to a physical size of around 12 light years.<ref name=constellation-guide/> The nebula is thought to have a mass of around 20 [[solar mass]]es. A large dust lane in the foreground obscures part of the nebula.
The Flame nebula is illuminated primarily by the light of the easternmost star on Orion's belt, [[Zeta Orionis|Alnitak]] (Zeta Orionis). Alnitak is in reality a system of [[star]]s, a [[supergiant|blue supergiant]] and two smaller companions of the fourth magnitude.<ref name=constellation-guide/> With an absolute [[star magnitude|magnitude]] of -6.0, Zeta Orionis is the most luminous O type star in the night sky and 35,000 times brighter than the [[Sun]].<ref name=skyfactory/> The large amount of dust surrounding the star makes it appear 4 billion times dimmer than it really is.<ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2317.html The Flame Nebula] from nasa.gov</ref> The [[Chandra|Chandra X-ray Observatory]] and the [[Spitzer Space Telescope]] among other telescopes have determined the nebula contains a cluster of hot stars, 86% of which have circumstellar disks. These telescopes observe in the [[x-ray]] and [[infrared]] regions of the [[electromagnetic spectrum]] so were not affected by dust in the foreground. These are disks of material, mostly dust and gas, that surround the star and are often [[torus|toroidal]] (doughnut shaped) or flat in shape.
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Nebulae}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Nebulae]]