ALBUFEIRA

Located about 7,500 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia, the Heart Nebula is a mix of gas and dark dust. Also called IC 1805, this emission nebula was nicknamed for its heart-like shape. In the center of the heart is a newly-formed star cluster called Melotte 15.

The image also shows a bright star-forming region called NGC 896. The larger star-forming complex that contains the heart nebula sprawls along the Perseus spiral arm of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

(texto: space.com – imagem: Terry Hancock)