IC 1805, IC 1848 - The Heart and Soul Nebula

The constellation Cassiopeia is where the two bright emission nebulae nicknamed the Heart and Soul can be found. The Heart nebula, officially designated as IC 1805 and visible above on the right, has a shape reminiscent of a classic heart symbol. The Soul nebula, IC 1848, located on the left resembles that of a sole, and is even sometimes called the "baby" nebula due to its shape. Both nebulae shine brightly in the red light of ionized hydrogen, and several star clusters populate the image throughout, including the centers of both nebulae. These nebulae are located approximately 6,000 light years from Earth and together span a distance of roughly 300 light years.

Image Specifications:

     •  Instrument:  Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L @ f3.5
     •  Camera:  Canon 20Da
     •  Filters:  Hutech IDAS LPS (Light Pollution)
     •  Mount:  Losmandy GM-8 Equatorial
     •  Guiding:  SBIG STV Autoguider with Vixen 400mm Guidescope
     •  Time / Date :  December 16, 2006, 7:30PM EST
     •  Location:  Coyle Field, NJ
     •  Weather:  Extremely poor transparency, 40degF
     •  Primary Exposure :  20 x 2min, ISO 1600, RAW, min-max average combined
     •  Calibration Frames:  7 x 2min, ISO 1600, RAW, average combined
     •  Image Processing :  Images Plus, PixInsightLE, Photoshop CS2