The Soul Nebula, also known as IC 1848, is a vast emission nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia. It spans over 150 light-years across and lies about 7,500 light-years away from Earth. The nebula gets its name from its distinct shape resembling a soul or heart, depending on the perspective, although I don't the resemblance myself. This complex is the eastern neighbor of IC1805 (Heart Nebula) and the two are often collectively known as the "Heart and Soul". Like many other emission nebulae, it is primarily composed of hydrogen gas, which is ionized by the intense radiation from nearby hot stars, causing it to emit light.
This composition is actually a combination of data I took back in
November 2022. I didn't quite like the detail I had captured back then and always knew I would eventually add more data to it. This new image contains almost twice as much data as the previous one, and processed with new techniques and tools.
Dates data acquired: November 20, 21 2022 and December 11,12,13,14,19 2023
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