Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Melotte 15 in the Heart

NASA ^ | December 27, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

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, Melotte 15. About 1.5 million years young, the cluster stars are near the center of this colorful skyscape, along with dark dust clouds in silhouette. Dominated by emission from atomic hydrogen, the telescopic view spans about 30 light-years. But wider field images reveal that IC 1805's simpler, overall outline suggests its popular name - The Heart Nebula. IC 1805 is located along the northern Milky Way, about 7,500 light years distant toward the constellation Cassiopeia.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Jimmy Walker]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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[dr_lew]

Here's the "HEART":

Check the specs for this at the wiki site File:IC1805 -- H-alpha + RGB.jpg

Exposure: 26 x 10 minutes H-alpha plus 13 x 10 minutes RGB = 6h30m total exposure, ISO800, f/4.8

... for starters!

[dr_lew]

Here's the center of the ( totally awesome ) wiki HEART image excerpted, rotated, and expanded to approximately match the APOD:

So consider well what the APOD is showing you. OTOH, consider how amazing it is that the wiki image is that close to it!

[MaxMax]

Looks like a few thousand red planets decided to war. All dust now.

[dr_lew]

Looks like a few thousand red planets decided to war. All dust now.

The FOV is 30 ly across. The cataclysm that you so picturesquely imagine would be so diffuse as to be indetectable on this scale.