Widefield view of Heart Nebula (IC1805)

IC 1805 is a massive 300 light year cavity of excavated gas blown out by the stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation of a cluster of hot OB stars at its centre.  The cluster is positioned some 50 light years in front of the nebula it illuminates.  Wide field images such as this reveals IC 1805's delicate silhouette from which it derives its popular name – the Heart Nebula.  The nebula is located about 7,500 light years away toward the constellation of Cassiopeia.  At the top left is the companion Fishhead Nebula.

Right ascension: 02h 33m 40.9s | Declination: +61° 23' 30.8" | Distance: 7,500 Light Years
Field of view: 234 x 176 arcmin

Camera: QSI 583wsg
Optics: TS Photoline TS60ED F/4.3 APO with Photoline x0.79 reducer
Guiding: Off-axis with Lodestar guider
Filters: Baader Ha (7nm), OIII (8.5nm)
Exposures: Ha 18 x 20 min, OIII 17 x 20min
Total exposure: 11.7 hours
Image composition: Cannistra Modified Bicolour Narrowband Technique
Scale: 4.2 arcsec/pixel
Image acquired: Over seven nights between 25th September 2015 and 13th March 2016.

Image capture with MaxIm DL, FocusMax, ACP; Image processed with MaxIm DL, Straton and Photoshop CC 2014