6,500 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia, the Soul Nebula glows red with ionized hydrogen gas but shines even brighter in the radio spectrum. The Westerhout 5 radio source, discovered by Gart Westerhout in 1956, is a cavity in the Soul Nebula carved by the ferocious stellar winds and electromagnetic radiation of triggered star formation. As dust and gas are blown to the fringes of the nebula, the compressed matter collapses under its own gravity and ignites nuclear fusion, resulting in the birth of hundreds of stars. For comparison, the stars in the Soul Nebula are only several million years old while our own Sun is 4.5 billion years old.
Acquisition Date: November 27, 2020–December 8, 2020
Acquisition Site: St. Helena, CA and Backyard
Image Details: 303 x 90s (7h 34m 30s)
Equipment: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro, Takahashi FSQ-106EDXIII, Losmandy G11, Radian Triad Ultra Filter 2″