The Rosette Nebula

The Rosette Nebula, or NGC 2237—at least that designation refers to part of it. The nebula is located in the constellation Monoceros, positioned somewhat east and south of the bright star Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) in the sky. It is one of the most famous and beautiful gas and dust nebulae. At the center of the nebula, the open star cluster NGC 2244 can be observed, composed of young blue stars. (Discovered by John Flamsteed in 1690.) The distance to the nebula is approximately 5,200 light-years. Its diameter is about 130 light-years. The mass of the nebula is estimated to be around 10,000 solar masses. Due to an abundance of hydrogen, the nebula appears with a reddish hue in most photographs. The entire nebula is threaded with dark dust filaments, some of which are clearly distinguishable in the image. Observations reveal the presence of rapidly moving molecular clumps, the origin of which remains unclear to this day. Imaging date: November 1, 2019. Scale: 70%.