NASA Shares Heart-Shaped Nebula Image To Mark Valentine's Day

NASA has shared a special space image to mark Valentine's Day, showing a heart-shaped nebula where new stars are being born. The agency released a new image of the Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146), calling it a fitting symbol for the day. The nebula is a star-forming region in the Milky Way galaxy and appears in the shape of a heart. The image incorporates X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, shown in red, green, and blue. This data reveals a cluster of young stars just emerging from within the glowing nebula. These newborn stars are very active and emit large amounts of X-rays, which Chandra easily detects, reported NASA.

The nebula's glow is also created by a combination of different types of light. Some light comes directly from these young stars, while some is reflected back by dust within the nebula.

How The Image Was Created

This composite image was created using optical-light images from astrophotographers Michael Adler and Barry Wilson. In addition, infrared data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission has also been added. Combining these sources clearly reveals the nebula's glowing cloud, dense dust, and numerous stars scattered within and around it.

The Cocoon Nebula spans approximately 15 light-years and is located approximately 2,650 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Cygnus.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, oversees the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory operates the Chandra X-ray Center, which handles science and flight-related activities.

What Is Seen In The Image

In this image, the Cocoon Nebula appears as a glowing, heart-shaped cloud, with a star-filled sky stretching behind it. The central part of the nebula glows with red, orange, and gold colors, and its edges appear to slowly fade into space. Within this luminous cloud lie numerous young stars, some appear as bright points, while others are visible only through X-rays. This combination of optical and infrared light gives the image depth and reveals dusty regions where new stars are still being born.