The Soul Nebula is an emission nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia. It forms a famous pair known as the Heart and Soul with the neighbouring Heart Nebula (IC 1805). The Soul Nebula is sometimes also known as the Embryo Nebula or IC 1848, which is a designation used for the open star cluster embedded within the nebula. The Heart and Soul Nebulae complex spans an area about 300 light years across and is a vast star-forming region illuminated by the light of the young stars surrounded by star-forming clouds of dust and gas. The two large clouds are separated by only 2.5 degrees and physically connected by a bridge of gas. The stars in the region are less than a few million years old and are only beginning their life. For comparison, our Sun has been around for almost 5 billion years.
The California Nebula (NGC 1499) is an intense hydrogen emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. This iconic deep-sky object has been ignited by energetic starlight that has ionized its nebular gas composition. The most noticeable characteristics of this nebula are its striking resemblance in shape to the US state of California, and red color due to its hydrogen composition. It is almost 2.5° long on the sky and, because of its very low surface brightness, it is extremely difficult to observe visually.
