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Young Cluster Melotte 15

Melotte 15
The young star cluster Melotte 15 was born of hydrogen, helium and heavier elements in the clouds of the Heart Nebula.

The Heart Nebula, like most emission nebulas, is inflated like a bubble by newborn stars in its interior. The ionized clouds are mostly hydrogen, but are also rich in oxygen (blue) and sulphur (red), as well as all of the heavier elements fused in the cores of several generations of stars long dead. The ionized gasses are eroded by stellar winds and radiation from massive hot stars in the young star cluster Melotte 15, left of center,  formed only 1.5 million years ago.

 

Date: 6 January 2018 and 16 December 2017, Location: Rennesøy, SW Norway

Telescope: Skywatcher Esprit ED 120 mm f/7 apochromat, Mount: ASA DDM160

Camera: Apogee U16M, CCD temperature -30 C

Exposure time: Ha, OIII, SII 180/100/80 min