IC 1805 and IC 1848 – The Heart and Soul Nebulae

Description:

The Heart and Soul nebulae in the constellation Cassiopeia. I had to create a four-panel mosaic to cover this vast star-forming region located 7,000 light-years away. The image spans 6 by 4 degrees—equivalent to 12 by 8 full-moon diameters. Yet, it is invisible to the naked eye and nearly impossible to see visually through a telescope. For this shot, my small telescope was equipped with filters that transmit light only within specific wavelength bands centered on ionized hydrogen and sulfur, as well as doubly ionized oxygen.