The Rosette nebula and associated open cluster in Monoceros.

This is a beautiful and large star cluster and nebula in the constellation Monoceros. Shown is the inner parts of the nebulosity itself and the open cluster. The cluster contains 21 type O and B stars and a large number of dimmer stars. It lies at a distance of 2600 light years and has a diameter of about 55 light years.

The nebulosity likely weights about 11,000 solar masses. It is recorded in the NGC as four items NGC2237, NGC2238, NGC2239, and NGC2246 and is likely a region of star formation. This nebula may also be associated with the Cone nebula, NGC2264.

If you hold your mouse over this image, you will see all of this large nebula and its environs.

Images taken with TEC-140 Telescope mounted on Losmandy G11 mount. Camera used was a Canon EOS20D used at prime focus.

Twenty-one 3 minutes exposures dark and flat compensated, aligned and stacked, background removed and Digitaly Developed in ImagesPlus 2.75.