IC 1805 The Heart Nebula

Located approximately 7,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia, the Heart Nebula (IC 1805) is a spectacular star-forming region. Its name comes from its distinctive shape, which resembles a human heart when observed in astrophotography. It is composed primarily of ionized hydrogen, which emits intense light due to stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation from its massive young stars. It also contains the Pisces Nebula (IC 1795).

The Heart Nebula is a vast cloud of gas and dust where new stars are being born. It contains the open cluster Melotte 15, a group of hot young stars that emit intense radiation, ionizing the surrounding gas. These stellar winds sculpt the nebula and create complex structures, such as gas pillars and dark cavities. For these reasons, IC 1805 is a popular target for amateur astronomers. Thanks to SHO filters, it reveals its finest details. It is often depicted in pink using a color view or an H-alpha filter. It is captured here using the Hubble palette, SHO, which better highlights the various atoms that compose it.

Photography details:
- Skywatcher 80ed evostar with corrector/reducer
- ZWO AM5
- Asiair Plus
- 533 mc pro with L-Ultimate and SII filters
- 120mm mini
- ZWO filter wheel
- Autofocus
- 4-photo mosaic
- Stacked and separated L-Ultimate filter in Ha/OIII in Siril
- Processed in PixInsight
- Finished in Lightroom