Rosette Nebula


The Rosette Nebula is a vast emission nebula located approximately 5200 light years away.  The star forming regions reside near a large molecular cloud in the constellation Monoceros and are closely associated with the young open star cluster NGC 2244.  The stars in this cluster are responsible for the nebula's glow.  The nebula glows in the red part of the spectrum because the powerful ultraviolet radiation from these stars strip electrons from the nebula's hydrogen atoms.

 

This nebula is a very active stellar nursery.  It is home to numerous Herbig_Haro objects, Bok globules, T Tauri stars and clusters of newly formed stars.

 

The Rosette spans 130 light years and has an angular size of 1.3 degrees.

 

Various parts of the nebula have different designations in the New General Catalogue.  This is because different parts of the nebula were discovered by various astronomers from the 17th to 19th centuries.

 

OTA:  William Optics Star71

Camera:  ZWO ASI2600MC Duo

Filters:  UV/IR cut

Mount:  AP Mach 1

Exposure:  35 x 300s (2h55m)

Data obtained:  Sept 10-11, 2024


Meadowlark Ridge Observatory
Meadowlark Ridge Observatory