The Heart Nebula (IC 1805) and the Soul Nebula (IC 1848) are two huge clouds of gas and dust in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 7,500 light years from Earth. They are among the active star-forming regions in our galaxy. The Heart Nebula owes its name to its distinctive shape and glows in a reddish light coming from ionised hydrogen gas. This nebula is excited by the energetic light of young, hot stars that formed within it.
The Soul Nebula, lying directly next to the Heart Nebula, also shows intense star formation. Both nebulae are known not only for their impressive size but also for their beauty, and are often described as a “cosmic couple in love”.
| IMAGE DATA | |
|---|---|
| Object | Heart Nebula (IC1805) & Soul Nebula (IC1848) |
| Distance | approx. 7500 light years |
| Date | 28., 29. & 30.10.2024 |
| Exposure | Each 42x 180sec. RGB, 36x300sec. Luminance, 61x 300sec. Halpha, jeweils 68x300sec. OIII and SII Total approx. 25.7h |
| Mount | Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro |
| Telescope | William Optics Redcat 51 |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 2600mm with ZWO LRGB, HA, OIII & SII Filtern |
| Guiding | Zwo Asi OAG with ZWO Asi 290mm Mini & Asiair |
| Software | AsiAir, Astropixel Processor, Photoshop CC, Topaz Deniose AI, Star X Terminator, Nik Collection 7 |