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Credit & Copyright: Toni Fabiani
Explanation:
What electrifies the Heart Nebula?
First, the large emission nebula
on the left, catalogued as
IC 1805, looks somewhat like a human heart.
The nebula glows brightly in red light
emitted by its most prominent element,
hydrogen,
but this long-exposure image was also blended with light
emitted by
sulfur (yellow) and
oxygen (blue).
In the center of the
Heart Nebula are young stars from the open star cluster
Melotte 15
that are eroding away several picturesque
dust pillars with their atom-exciting
energetic light and winds.
The Heart Nebula is located about 7,500
light years away toward the
constellation
of Cassiopeia.
At the top right of the Heart Nebula is the companion
Fishhead Nebula.
This wide and deep image clearly shows
that glowing gas surrounds the Heart Nebula in all directions.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Heart Nebula - star formation
Publications with words: Heart Nebula - star formation
See also:
- APOD: 2025 December 28 Á NGC 1898: Globular Cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud
- NGC 253: Dusty Island Universe
- Young Suns of NGC 7129
- APOD: 2025 December 9 Á The Heart of the Soul Nebula
- APOD: 2025 July 10 Á Lynds Dark Nebula 1251
- APOD: 2025 June 23 Á W5: Pillars of Star Formation
- APOD: 2025 April 28 Á Gum 37 and the Southern Tadpoles