Melotte 15
An open cluster of massive hot blue super-giant stars can be found near the center of IC 1805 – more commonly referred to as the Heart Nebula. Shown in the upper right quadrant of this image the fierce stellar winds from these young stars have blown an enormous bubble within the parent HII nebula. These winds have also sculpted the dust clouds within which other stars are forming.
This is a narrowband image which captures ionized hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur atoms.
OTA: Vixen VC200L
Camera: Atik 460ex w/EFW2 filter wheel
Filters: Astrodon Ha/OIII/SII (3nm)
Mount: AP Mach1
Exposure: Ha:OIII:SII 240:120:100
Data obtained: January/March 2015