Soul Nebula — IC 1848

The Soul Nebula is a massive emission nebula in Cassiopeia, paired with its neighbor the Heart Nebula (IC 1805). Together they form one of the most recognizable pairs in the northern sky.

This is a mosaic — multiple panels stitched together to capture the full extent of the nebula. Sixty hours of total integration time across all panels, shot in SHO narrowband and processed in the Foraxx palette with synthetic luminance from hydrogen and oxygen channels.

Sixty hours means weeks of clear nights, and in Victoria that means fighting marine fog, high clouds, and a latitude that doesn't get truly dark in summer.

Technical Details

• Object: IC 1848 — Soul Nebula (Westerhout 5)
• Distance: ~6,500 light-years
• Telescope: 80mm refractor @ 600mm FL
• Filters: SHO narrowband + synthetic HO luminance
• Processing: Foraxx palette, multi-panel mosaic
• Integration: 60 hours
• Location: Victoria, BC