ScienceDownEast | ScienceDownEast Astrophotography | Nebulae | IC 1848 Soul Nebula | IC_1848

The Soul Nebula (IC 1848, sometimes cataloged with the embedded open cluster Westerhout 5) is a large emission nebula and active star-forming complex in Cassiopeia, lying right beside the better-known Heart Nebula (IC 1805). It is powered by young, massive stars whose intense ultraviolet radiation ionizes the surrounding hydrogen, producing the rich Hα glow and sculpted dust pillars typical of stellar nurseries. Often imaged together with the Heart, IC 1848 on its own reveals intricate lanes, bright rims, and newborn clusters buried in nebulosity.

At an estimated distance of about ~6,000–7,000 light-years in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way (IC 1848 overview), the nebula spans well over a degree on the sky in widefield images, corresponding to a physical size of roughly 100–150 light-years. Because of its large angular extent and predominantly Hα/O III emission, it is a rewarding target for widefield refractors and narrowband filters, which help separate the glowing gas from the star field of the Cassiopeia region. Look for IC 1848 just east of IC 1805 (the Heart Nebula), in the rich Milky Way band running through Cassiopeia. [generated by ChatGPT]

Total image time was 1 hour and 20 minutes.