Explanation:
Cosmic clouds seem to form
fantastic shapes in
the central regions of emission nebula IC 1805.
Of course, the clouds are sculpted
by stellar winds and radiation from massive hot
stars in the nebula's
newborn star cluster
(aka Melotte 15).
About 1.5 million years young, the cluster stars appear
in this
colorful skyscape, along with dark
dust clouds
silhouetted against glowing
atomic gas.
A composite of narrow band telescopic images, the
view spans about 15 light-years and shows emission
from hydrogen in green, sulfur in red, and oxygen in blue hues.
Wider field images
reveal that IC 1805's simpler,
overall outline suggests its popular name -
The
Heart Nebula.
IC 1805 is located about 7,500 light years away toward the
constellation Cassiopeia.
