This WISE mosaic is of the Soul Nebula ( the Embryo Nebula, IC 1848, or W5). It is an open cluster of stars surrounded by

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This WISE mosaic is of the Soul Nebula ( the Embryo Nebula, IC 1848, or W5). It is an open cluster of stars surrounded by a cloud of dust and gas over 150 light-years across and located about 6,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia, near the Heart Nebula (partially seen in the WISE image of Maffei 1 & 2).The cluster of stars, IC 1848, formed about a million years ago from the material of the nebula. Winds and ultraviolet light from these young stars are excavating a cavity in the cloud. Parts of the cloud that are more dense than their surroundings are being eroded more slowly and form giant towers, or pillars of dust and gas, which all point toward the central star cluster.

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Size: 5890px × 3079px
Location:
Photo credit: © World History Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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