Skymonsters

Astrophotography by Nicola Montecchiari

IC1805, The Core

Emission Nebula IC1805, The Core
Date/Place2024-12-01 at Elijah Observatory
CoordinatesAR 02h 32m 36s DEC +61° 29′02″
InstrumentGSO RC10 Truss
CameraQSI583wsg
Integration45 hours of total integration time
RGB + H-alpha + OIII composition
RGB: (28, 28, 28) x 600 sec.
H-alpha: 34 x 1200 sec.
OIII: 57 x 1200 sec.
CommentThis is a very large HII region, whose distance is estimated to be about 7,500 light-years from us; its main characteristic is the presence of two large, apparently empty areas of different sizes, which make the nebula look like a "heart." Inside it lies a system of small, loosely concentrated open clusters, which are responsible for the ionization of the nebula. The most notable of these is Melotte 15, which contains several stars about 50 times more massive than the Sun, plus other smaller stars and a microquasar ejected millions of years ago.