Melotte 15 is a young and energetic cluster, with its hot, massive stars illuminating the surrounding nebula, creating a visually stunning celestial display. The region is a popular target for astrophotographers and astronomers interested in studying the dynamics of star formation and the interplay between stars and the surrounding interstellar medium.

This deep-space image, captured using the Hubble palette, offers a unique perspective of Melotte 15, a star cluster nestled within the expansive cosmos. Comprising Sulfur (S), Hydrogen-alpha (Ha), and doubly ionized Oxygen (OIII) emissions, the image provides a distinctive, color-enhanced view of the cosmic phenomena. Melotte 15 is renowned for its remarkable stellar richness, harboring a concentration of hot, massive stars, including O-type stars, which are among the universe's most massive. This makes it an exceptional laboratory for exploring the intricacies of stellar evolution and massive star formation. Additionally, within this cluster, various variable stars exhibit periodic changes in brightness, supplying astronomers with valuable data for unraveling the fundamental properties of stars and the dynamics of Melotte 15, enhancing our comprehension of this celestial ensemble.

Image Description and Details :

Our first picture with our remote imaging setup in south Portugal (Alelentejo Remote Observatory managed by the ARO TEAM).
Our team named AstroDarkTeam is a team of two passionate french amateur astronomers : Stephane Rolland and Pascal Gouraud
We have installed our setup in south Portugal (EQ8-R + TOA130) on mid-october 2021 and we have been imaging since end of October 2021.
Our first target is IC1805 an emission nebula and star cluster Melotte 15.
Clouds in this area are sculpted by stellar winds and radiation from massive hot stars in the nebula cluster, Melotte 15 (about 1.5 million years young).
This 15 light-years wide field view includes emission from ionized hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen atoms.
The Heart Nebula. IC 1805 is located about 7,500 light years away toward the constellation Cassiopeia.

Regarding imaging sessions, We have got some issues with thermal amplitude and humidity.
Some improvements still to be done regarding subframe exposure (moving to 15 or 20 minutes) and better subframe selection.
Regarding processing, we have been unable to integrate LRVB shots to improve star colors, so still to be improved for future pictures.
For a first run, we are quite happy with this result.


Copyright: Pascal Gouraud / AstroDarkTeam

Image Description and Details :

Melotte 15 in the Heart of IC 1805.

William Optics FL132, WO GS61 guide, CGEM, Atik 460ex, ZWO mini, ZWO EFW, Astrodon NB 3nm Ha, Sii, Oiii filters. PHD2/SGP/Pixinsight/PS.

13 hours total exposure Bortle 9

Copyright: Alex Dean