﻿ Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 December 13 [2]A starfield is shown filled with colorful gas glowing in different colors, and dark dust. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Deep Field: The Heart Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: [3]William Ostling, Telescope Live Explanation: What excites the Heart Nebula? First, the large [4]emission nebula on the left, catalogued as [5]IC 1805, looks somewhat like a [6]human heart. The nebula glows brightly in red light emitted by its [7]most prominent element, [8]hydrogen, but this long-exposure image was also blended with light emitted by silicon (yellow) and oxygen (blue). In the center of the [9]Heart Nebula are young stars from the open star cluster [10]Melotte 15 that are eroding away several picturesque [11]dust pillars with their atom-exciting [12]energetic light and winds. The [13]Heart Nebula is located about 7,500 [14]light years away toward the [15]constellation of [16]Cassiopeia. At the bottom right of the Heart Nebula is the companion [17]Fishhead Nebula. [18]This wide and deep image clearly shows, though, that glowing gas surrounds the Heart Nebula in all directions. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [19]< | [20]Archive | [21]Submissions | [22]Index | [23]Search | [24]Calendar | [25]RSS | [26]Education | [27]About APOD | [28]Discuss | [29]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & [32]Jerry Bonnell ([33]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [34]Specific rights apply. [35]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC, [39]NASA Science Activation & [40]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/Heart_TelLiveOstling_2953.jpg 3. https://theastroenthusiast.com/about-me/ 4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040917.html 6. https://youtu.be/xWkeidr2T8o?t=26 7. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d3/5d/63/d35d632b0161e3169f7f4dd3c17c8e36.jpg 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen 9. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zDeLAFp8p/ 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131227.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160424.html 12. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031022.html 14. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html 15. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/ 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassiopeia_(constellation) 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141224.html 18. https://theastroenthusiast.com/the-heart-nebula-in-sho/ 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231212.html 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 25. https://apod.com/feed.rss 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 28. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231213 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231214.html 30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 33. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 35. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 37. https://www.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 40. http://www.mtu.edu/