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Emission nebula

The Heart Nebula

Also IC 1805 · Sh 2-190

Open in Ouranos

A large heart-shaped cloud of glowing hydrogen in Cassiopeia, lit by the young cluster at its centre.

Measured

Distance
6,587 light-years
Constellation
Cassiopeia
Position (J2000)
RA 2h 32m 47s, Dec +61.47°

How far, from the Sun

6,590 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light6,590 years
  • Voyager 1's speed117 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h71.1 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • The cluster at its heart, Melotte 15, holds stars many times the Sun's mass.
  • Gaia picks out about 258 member stars (Hunt & Reffert 2023).

Where this comes from

  • Hunt & Reffert 2023, A&A 673, A114: Gaia DR3 cluster distance 2019.6 pc (16th–84th percentile 2013.5–2025.8 pc) for its central cluster IC 1805
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.