The Rosette Nebula
FEB 05, 2011
The Rosette Nebula is a star-birth region of our Milky Way galaxy.
The nebulosity is mostly deep-red Hydrogen-alpha light emitted by a cloud of
interstellar hydrogen atoms. This cloud of atoms is slowly condensing to
form young stars. The stars give off light, which excites the hydrogen
atoms in the interstellar nebula causing the nebula to glow. It is believed
that stellar winds from the bright young stars exerts pressure on the
interstellar cloud causing it to compress into the shape that we see here
from Earth. This picture was taken from my driveway with my 4 inch refractor using H-alpha
and O-III filters to cut through the light pollution.
  --Bob