Nights at Melinda Heights

For a full size image click here.

Distance: 6,500 Light Years

Magnitude: 6.5

Size: 110×80 Arc Minutes

Telescope: Borg 71

Camera: QSI683

Mount: AP1100

Exposures: SII 66×600, Ha 58×1200, OIII 34×600

This image was captured from my home in a Bortle 6/7 region.

IC 1848, commonly called the Soul Nebula, is a star cluster surrounded by emission nebula SH2-199. It is located in the Perseus arm of our galaxy in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The ultraviolet radiation and wind from the young hot stars in the cluster are blasting away the nebula dust cloud giving the nebula its shape. The parts of the dust cloud that are denser form the perimeter structure of the Soul nebula and the less dense areas form the inner structure. In the denser parts of the nebula there are several pillars of compressed gas and dust where star formation is occurring. There are also several other smaller open clusters that have formed in the outer perimeter. IC1848 and the other smaller clusters in this area are all part of the CAS OB6 association.

IC 1871 is the small fan shaped emission nebula to the left of the Soul nebula. Within the fan shaped nebula there is a dust cloud that appears to nearly split the nebula in two.

Here is an Ha version:

Exposures: Ha 58×1200

For a full size image click here.