The Heart Nebula, IC 1805, Sh2-190, lies some 7500 light years away from Earth and is located in the Perseus Arm of theGalaxy in the constellation Cassiopeia. This is an emission nebula showing glowing gas and darker dust lanes. The nebula is formed by plasma of ionized hydrogen and free electrons.

The very brightest part of this nebula (the knot at the right) is separately classified as NGC 896, because it was the first part of this nebula to be discovered.

The nebula’s intense red output and its configuration are driven by the radiation emanating from a small group of stars near the nebula’s center. This open cluster of stars known as Melotte 15 contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the mass of our Sun, and many more dim stars that are only a fraction of our Sun’s mass. The cluster used to contain a microquasar that was expelled millions of years ago.

Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ85EDX
Imaging cameras: Atik 460 EX
Mounts: Astro Engineering Pier, Avalon Linear Fast Reverse
Guiding cameras: QHYCCD QHY5L-II-M
Focal reducers: reducer 0.73 Takahashi
Software: Pleaides Astrophoto PixInsight 1.8, CdC, PHD 2 PHD GUIDING, EQASCOM
Filters: Astrodon OIII 5nm 36 mm, Astrodon Ha 5mm 36mm
Accessories: Lakeside Astro Motor Focus System, Atik EFW2 Filter Wheel
Resolution: 2724×2164
Dates: Oct. 4, 2014
Frames: 
Astrodon Ha 5mm 36mm: 6×900″ bin 1×1
Astrodon OIII 5nm 36 mm: 6×900″ bin 1×1
Integration: 3.0 hours
Avg. Moon age: 9.75 days
Avg. Moon phase: 74.10%
RA center: 37.929 degrees
DEC center: 61.248 degrees
Pixel scale: 2.837 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: 90.761 degrees
Field radius: 1.371 degrees

Author: Barry Wilson

05.10.2014