The
Rosette Nebula (also known as
Caldwell 49) is an
H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the
Monoceros region of the
Milky Way Galaxy. The
open clusterNGC 2244 (Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the
stars of the cluster having been
formed from the nebula's matter.The nebula has been noted to be having a shape reminiscent of a human skull, and is sometimes referred to as the "
Skull Nebula." It is not to be confused with
NGC 246, which is also nicknamed the "
Skull Nebula".The complex has the following
New General Catalogue (NGC) designations:
- NGC 2237 – Part of the nebulous region (Also used to denote whole nebula)
- NGC 2238 – Part of the nebulous region
- NGC 2239 – Part of the nebulous region (Discovered by John Herschel)
- NGC 2244 – The open cluster within the nebula (Discovered by John Flamsteed in 1690)
- NGC 2246 – Part of the nebulous region
The cluster and nebula lie at a distance of 5,000
light-years from
Earth and measure roughly 130 light years in diameter. The
radiation from the young stars excites the
atoms in the nebula, causing them to emit radiation themselves producing the emission nebula we see. The
mass of the nebula is estimated to be around 10,000
solar masses.
What is inside the Rosette Nebula?
The Rosette Nebula is a huge cloud of glowing gas heated by stars created only a few million years ago when a giant molecular cloud collapsed. The newborn open cluster that now stands in its center is NGC 2244. It contains
many hot, bright stars that are emitting copious quantities of ultra-violet light.
Rosette Nebula is 5,219 light-years away from Earth and 65 light-years in radius.
It is formed like a rose or a flower, which is why it gets its name “Rosset.” This rose's petals are a star nursery, where new stars are born.
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