The Soul Nebula, cataloged as IC 1848, spreads across a rich star forming complex in Cassiopeia about 6,000 light years from Earth. This field highlights long ribbons of hydrogen emission, windswept cavities carved by young clusters, and faint dust channels that become visible only after long integration. Captured from a Bortle 8.5 backyard in Nashville, the data pushes deep enough to show the layered structure of the nebula and the delicate interplay between ionizing radiation and the surrounding gas.

Across 34 nights and 235 hours of exposure, this result is a remarkably clean and detailed look at a target that is notoriously difficult from heavy light pollution. The depth here makes the Soul feel almost sculpted, with subtle gradients and transitions that rarely show up outside of remote dark sky imagery.

The Soul Nebula, also known as IC 1848, shines with captivating brilliance when viewed through narrowband filters that isolate specific wavelengths of light. This celestial masterpiece, located in the constellation Cassiopeia and approximately 6,500 light-years away from Earth, unveils its ethereal beauty in this narrowband image. The specialized filters emphasize the emissions from ionized hydrogen and oxygen, highlighting the intricate tendrils and glowing clouds of the nebula in stunning detail. In this cosmic portrait, the Soul Nebula's radiant pinks and deep reds come to life, revealing a celestial dreamscape where new stars are born amidst the interstellar clouds. This narrowband view of the Soul Nebula offers a mesmerizing glimpse into the hidden wonders of the universe, where the dance of light and gas paints a masterpiece that transcends both time and space.

This complex is the eastern neighbor of IC1805 (Heart Nebula) and the two are often mentioned together as the "Heart and Soul". Located about 6,000 light-years from Earth, the Heart and Soul nebulae form a vast star-forming complex that makes up part of the Perseus spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy. The Soul nebula is also known as the Embryo nebula, IC 1848 or W5.The Perseus arm lies further from the centre of the Milky Way than the arm that contains our sun. The Heart and Soul nebulae stretch out nearly 580 light-years across; the diameter of the Milky Way, is roughly 100,000 light-years across.Imaging telescope: Takahashi FSQ130EDImaging cameras: FLI ML16200Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2MGuiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 IIFocal Extender / Reducer: Tak QE 0.73x Software: PHD 2, Astro Pixel Processer, PixInsight , Sequence Generator Pro SGPFilters: Astrodon Ha + Astrodon OIII + Astrodon SIIAccessories: ATIK EFW3Original Resolution: 3500 x 2500 Dates: Sep 15 - Oct 5, 2021Frames:Astrodon Ha: 42 x 600"Astrodon OIII: 42 x 600"Astrodon SII: 42 x 600"Integration: 21 Hours.Center (RA, Dec): (43.568, 60.344)Center (RA, hms): 02h 54m 16.291sCenter (Dec, dms): +60° 20' 38.560"Size: 2.52 x 1.8 degRadius: 1.551 degPixel scale: 2.6 arcsec/pixelOrientation: Up is 180 degrees E of N

Copyright: Brendan Kinch

Takahashi FSQ106 EDX3
ZWO ASI1600MM-C
Baader Ha (7nm), OIII (8.5nm) SII (8nm)
Guia 50 mm. + Orion Starshoot Autoguider
Celestron CGEM

Ha: 60x300s
OIII: 60x300s
SII: 40x300s
Temperatura Sensor: -10°C
F: 5
Captura: Sequence Generator
Procesado: Pixinsight 1.8 + Darktable

Guillermo Cervantes Mosqueda
Observatorio Astronómico Altaír
Poncitlán Jalisco México

Copyright: Guillermo Cervantes Mosqueda