**Astronomy Picture of the Day** 17 September 2024 **Melotte 15 in the 💯 Heart Nebula** https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2409/HeartMelotte_McInnis_1513.jpg Image Credit & Copyright: Richard 😀 McInnis 🌈 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. #APOD #SpaceExploration #Astrophysics #Space #StarCluster https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240917.html