APOD: In the Heart of the Heart Nebula (2022 Feb 14)

[APOD Robot]

In the Heart of the Heart Nebula

Explanation: What excites the Heart Nebula? First, the large emission nebula dubbed IC 1805 looks, in whole, like a human heart. Its shape perhaps fitting of the Valentine's Day, this heart glows brightly in red light emitted by its most prominent element: excited hydrogen. The red glow and the larger shape are all created by a small group of stars near the nebula's center. In the heart of the Heart Nebula are young stars from the open star cluster Melotte 15 that are eroding away several picturesque dust pillars with their energetic light and winds. The open cluster of stars contains a few bright stars nearly 50 times the mass of our Sun, many dim stars only a fraction of the mass of our Sun, and an absent microquasar that was expelled millions of years ago. The Heart Nebula is located about 7,500 light years away toward the constellation of the mythological Queen of Aethiopia (Cassiopeia).

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

[Ann]

What excites the Heart Nebula? Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Jensen

---

This excites the Heart Nebula: Melotte 15! Image: Ianik Lalancette.

---

Nice image for Valentine's Day! Thank you for ionizing the Heart Nebula for us, Melotte 15!

Ann

[supamario]

Did anyone notice the pink ring at the top of the image and if there is a designation for it?

[orin stepanek]

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!!!

[AVAO]

Did anyone notice the pink ring at the top of the image and if there is a designation for it?

Good question!

WeBo 1 is a planetary nebula in the Heart Nebula and thus in the constellation of Cassiopeia, named after its discoverers Ronald F. Webbink and Howard E. Bond. The planetary nebula is formed by a young Barium star in a binary system orbiting each other every 4.7 days



https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeBo_1
https://www.aapod2.com/blog/webo-1
http://www.caelumobservatory.com/gallery/webo1.shtml

[MarkBour]

Did anyone notice the pink ring at the top of the image and if there is a designation for it?

Good question!

WeBo 1 is a planetary nebula in the Heart Nebula and thus in the constellation of Cassiopeia, named after its discoverers Ronald F. Webbink and Howard E. Bond. The planetary nebula is formed by a young Barium star in a binary system orbiting each other every 4.7 days



https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeBo_1
https://www.aapod2.com/blog/webo-1
http://www.caelumobservatory.com/gallery/webo1.shtml

No, supamario, I had not noticed it. I'm glad you asked and that AVAO answered. That's remarkable!

With an orbital period of just a few days, I wonder if the two stars are going to eventually contact and merge. WeBo 1 seems a very exciting system and if planets form in the disk, it could be a setup like the fictional planet Tatooine. But perhaps an environment too exciting for stable planets to form, let alone to be hospitable to life.

[Ann]

WeBo 1. Adam Block/Caelum Observatory

---

I hadn't noticed the planetary nebula either, but at left is what it looks like in the APOD.

Ann

[Fred the Cat]

If a large star could become a neutron star, then a neutron star could become a black hole, what could a black hole become?

Say something 3D is changed into a 2D object, what would be its 1D counterpart?

I guess I might as well ask what a 4D cat ball looks like. Quasars are like that; let alone a microquasar. They are hard to imagine.

[supamario]

Did anyone notice the pink ring at the top of the image and if there is a designation for it?

Good question!

WeBo 1 is a planetary nebula in the Heart Nebula and thus in the constellation of Cassiopeia, named after its discoverers Ronald F. Webbink and Howard E. Bond. The planetary nebula is formed by a young Barium star in a binary system orbiting each other every 4.7 days



https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/WeBo_1
https://www.aapod2.com/blog/webo-1
http://www.caelumobservatory.com/gallery/webo1.shtml

Awesome. Thank you so much for the info.

[BillBixby]

If a large star could become a neutron star, then a neutron star could become a black hole, what could a black hole become?

Say something 3D is changed into a 2D object, what would be its 1D counterpart?

I guess I might as well ask what a 4D cat ball looks like. Quasars are like that; let alone a microquasar. They are hard to imagine.

Hi. Interesting question. Not an area I am qualified in. The only one dimensional object I am aware of is a rainbow. It can be viewed from one side but not another as the light only passes through from one side.
A bridge is a 3D object. It can be walked around and viewed from many angles. A well done painting of that bridge would appear 3D, showing depth with foreground and background objects, but cannot be walked around and viewed from other angles. A painting of an object is therefore 2D. The frame and media are 3D. A bridge painting, poorly done, would not appear to have depth. Think artwork on Egyptian tombs or an engineers blueprints. 4D? What would that be? The Fifth Dimension is a singing group famous for "Hair" and "Let the Sun Rise."

[Chris Peterson]

If a large star could become a neutron star, then a neutron star could become a black hole, what could a black hole become?

Say something 3D is changed into a 2D object, what would be its 1D counterpart?

I guess I might as well ask what a 4D cat ball looks like. Quasars are like that; let alone a microquasar. They are hard to imagine. :?

Hi. Interesting question. Not an area I am qualified in. The only one dimensional object I am aware of is a rainbow. It can be viewed from one side but not another as the light only passes through from one side.
A bridge is a 3D object. It can be walked around and viewed from many angles. A well done painting of that bridge would appear 3D, showing depth with foreground and background objects, but cannot be walked around and viewed from other angles. A painting of an object is therefore 2D. The frame and media are 3D. A bridge painting, poorly done, would not appear to have depth. Think artwork on Egyptian tombs or an engineers blueprints. 4D? What would that be? The Fifth Dimension is a singing group famous for "Hair" and "Let the Sun Rise."

Cue Art with a long discussion of trompe-l'œil!

[Astrochris]

Hello, is there anymore information on this astrophotographer? Does he have a website? What kinda of equipment was used to take this beautiful photo?