Posted on 10/27/2015 3:46:27 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: What's that inside the Heart Nebula? First, the large emission nebula dubbed IC 1805 looks, in whole, like a human heart. The nebula glows brightly in red light emitted by its most prominent element: hydrogen. The red glow and the larger shape are all created by a small group of stars near the nebula's center. 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 energetic light and winds. The open cluster of stars contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the mass of our Sun, many dim stars only a fraction of the mass of our Sun, and an absent microquasar that was expelled millions of years ago. The Heart Nebula is located about 7,500 light years away toward the constellation of Cassiopeia. At the top right is the companion Fishhead Nebula.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit and Copyright: Simon Addis]
I love these NASA photos. Amazing and breathtaking.
Same here, particularly when a nebula is involved.
Alas, I believe these are artificial colors, are they not ?
Dunno, perhaps contrast was fiddled with.
I’m just thinking if we saw it with the naked eye, it would just be black and white and not the brilliant colors we see in these APoDs.
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