Heart of the Rosette Nebula

Spitzer_ssc2007-08a1_1024

spitzer_ssc2007-08a1 April 18th, 2007

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Z. Balog (Univ. of Arizona/Univ. of Szeged)

This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Rosette nebula, a pretty star-forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros. In optical light, the nebula looks like a rosebud, or the "rosette" adornments that date back to antiquity.

But lurking inside this delicate cosmic rosebud are super hot stars, called O-stars, whose radiation and winds have collectively excavated layers of dust (green) and gas away, revealing the cavity of cooler dust (red). Some of the Rosette's O-stars can be seen in the bubble-like, red cavity; however the largest two blue stars in this picture are in the foreground, and not in the nebula itself.

This image shows infrared light captured by Spitzer's infrared array camera. Light with wavelengths of 24 microns is red; light of 8 microns is green; and light of 4.5 microns is blue.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1785-ssc2007-08a1-Heart-of-the-Rosette-Nebula

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Rosette Nebula NGC 2244
Subject - Milky Way
Star > Spectral Type > O
Nebula > Type > Star Formation
Nebula > Appearance > Emission > H II Region
Nebula > Appearance > Dark

Distance

Universescale1
5,200 light years
Spitzer_ssc2007-08a1_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 6h 32m 16.9s
DEC = 4° 55’ 25.1”
Orientation
North is 85.7° CW
Field of View
33.9 x 29.3 arcminutes
Constellation
Monoceros

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Red Spitzer (MIPS) Infrared (Mid-IR) 24.0 µm
Spectrum_ir1
Blue
Green
Red
Spitzer_ssc2007-08a1_1280
×
ID
ssc2007-08a1
Subject Category
B.3.3.1   B.4.1.2   B.4.2.1.1   B.4.2.3  
Subject Name
Rosette Nebula, NGC 2244
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Z. Balog (Univ. of Arizona/Univ. of Szeged)
Release Date
2007-04-18
Lightyears
5,200
Redshift
5,200
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/1785-ssc2007-08a1-Heart-of-the-Rosette-Nebula
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance from fast facts
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, MIPS
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
4500, 8000, 24000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
98.070284408029, 4.9236270711748142
Reference Dimension
1669, 1439
Reference Pixel
834.5, 719.5
Scale
-0.00033888389301603227, 0.00033888389301603227
Rotation
-85.7235316092
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2007-08a1.tif
Metadata Date
2011-09-06
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
5,200 light years

Providers | Sign In