THE SPECTRUM OF THE NEBULOSITY AT AE AURIGAE

Abstract

IC405 is the nebulosity around AEAurigae (HD 34078), of type O9. 5 V. This star is of considerable interest because it is one of the early type objects that are moving with high velocities away from the stellar association I Orionis. The association of AEAurigae with the emission nebulosity of IC405 appears, however, to be the result of a chance encounter, for the following reasons. First, the radial velocity of the star, +59 km/sec, differs substantially from the well-determined velocity of the bright-line nebulosity, which is about +22 km/sec according to Mayall,1 Osterbrock,2 and Courtes.3 Second, as has been pointed out by Blaauw and Morgan,4 emission nebulosity is conspicuously absent to the south of AE Aurigae, a fact leading to their suggestion that rapid northward motion of the star with respect to the nebulosity has somehow cleared this lane (see Plate I). Third, neither of the other high-velocity stars receding from the direction of Orion, jxColumbae (O9.5 V) and 53Arietis (B2V), is known to be nebulous.