The Rosetta Nebula is a vast cloud of dust and gas, extending over an area of more than 1 degree across, or about 5 times the area covered by the full moon. Open star cluster NGC 2244 is located within the nebula, consisting of young stars which recently formed from the nebula's material. The brightest stars in the cluster make the nebula shine by exciting its atoms to emit radiation. Star formation is believed to still be taking place in this vast cloud of interstellar matter which lies approximately 5,500 light-years from Earth.

More information on the Rosette Nebula is available at: http://seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n2244.html

This image is a 30 minute exposure through a 10-inch Newtonian telescope on Fuji ISO color negative film.

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