Rosette Nebula

The Rosette Nebula (also known as NGC 2237) is an emission nebula of glowing gas. It surrounds a cluster star cluster young bluish stars that formed about 4 million years ago within the nebula.

 

The nebula is thought to be about 100 light years across and 5,000 light years from our solar system.

 

This image is a composite from two black and white images taken with the Palomar Observatory's 48-inch (1.2-meter) Samuel Oschin Telescope as a part of the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II). The images were recorded on two glass photographic plates - one sensitive to red light and the other to blue. The plates were scanned and color combined to produce the image seen here.

 

 

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