Back to Glossary

Emission Nebula

A cloud of ionized gas emitting light of various colors, often found in regions of active star formation and contributing to the reddish hues observed in galaxies.

Source: esa.int

APODs including "Emission Nebula"

Melotte 15 in the Heart Nebula

17/09/2024

Melotte 15 in the Heart Nebula
Image Credit: Richard McInnis / NASA APOD

Cosmic clouds form fantastic shapes in the central regions of emission nebula IC 1805. The clouds are sculpted by stellar winds and radiation from massive hot stars in the nebula's newborn star cluster, Melotte 15. About 1.5 million years young, the cluster stars are scattered in this colorful skyscape, along with dark dust clouds in silhouette against glowing atomic gas. A composite of narrowband and broadband telescopic images, the view spans about 15 light-years and includes emission from ionized hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen atoms mapped to green, red, and blue hues in the popular Hubble Palette. Wider field images reveal that IC 1805's simpler, overall outline suggests its popular name - the Heart Nebula. IC 1805 is located about 7,500 light years away toward the boastful constellation Cassiopeia.