Explanation:
Is the heart and soul of our Galaxy located in
Cassiopeia?
Possibly not, but that is where two bright
emission nebulas nicknamed
Heart and
Soul can be found.
The Heart Nebula, officially dubbed
IC 1805 and visible above on the right, has a shape
reminiscent of a classical
heart symbol.
Both nebulas, shown above in false color, shine brightly in the light of
energizedhydrogen.
Several young open clusters of stars populate the image and are
visible above in and around the nebula centers.
Light takes about 6,000 years to reach us from these nebulas,
which together span roughly 300
light years.
Studies of stars and clusters like those found in the
Heart and Soul Nebulas have focussed on how
massive stars form and how they affect their environment.
