                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2023 December 13
     A starfield is shown filled with colorful gas glowing in different
     colors, and dark dust. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                        Deep Field: The Heart Nebula
          Image Credit & Copyright: William Ostling, Telescope Live

   Explanation: What excites the Heart Nebula? First, the large emission
   nebula on the left, catalogued as IC 1805, looks somewhat like a human
   heart. The nebula glows brightly in red light emitted by its most
   prominent element, hydrogen, but this long-exposure image was also
   blended with light emitted by silicon (yellow) and oxygen (blue). 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 atom-exciting energetic light and winds. The Heart
   Nebula is located about 7,500 light years away toward the constellation
   of Cassiopeia. At the bottom right of the Heart Nebula is the companion
   Fishhead Nebula. This wide and deep image clearly shows, though, that
   glowing gas surrounds the Heart Nebula in all directions.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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