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Rosette Nebula: The Heart of a Rose
Rosette Nebula
Rosette Nebula
Visual Description:

  • The Rosette Nebula is a star-forming region about 5,000 light years from Earth.

  • X-rays from Chandra reveal about 160 stars in the cluster known as NGC 2237 (right side of the image).

  • Combining X-ray and optical data, astronomers determined that the central cluster formed first, followed by neighboring ones including NGC 2237.

This composite image shows the Rosette star formation region, located about 5,000 light years from Earth. Data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory are colored red and outlined by a white line (roll your mouse over the image above). The X-rays reveal hundreds of young stars clustered in the center of the image and additional fainter clusters on either side. These clusters are labeled in the X-ray only image, where they are more obvious to the eye. Optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey and the Kitt Peak National Observatory (purple, orange, green and blue) show large areas of gas and dust, including giant pillars that remain behind after intense radiation from massive stars has eroded the more diffuse gas.

A recent Chandra study of the cluster on the right side of the image, named NGC 2237, provides the first probe of the low-mass stars in this satellite cluster. Previously only 36 young stars had been discovered in NGC 2237, but the Chandra work has increased this sample to about 160 stars. The presence of several X-ray emitting stars around the pillars and the detection of an outflow -- commonly associated with very young stars -- originating from a dark area of the optical image indicates that star formation is continuing in NGC 2237 (the outflow and some of the pillars are labeled in a close-up view). By combining these results with earlier studies, the scientists conclude that the central cluster formed first, followed by expansion of the nebula, which triggered the formation of the neighboring clusters, including NGC 2237.

Rosette Nebula Labeled

This work was led by Junfeng Wang of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The co-authors were Eric Feigelson, Leisa Townsley, Pat Broos and Gordon Garmire from Penn State University, Carlos Roman-Zuniga from the German-Spanish Astronomical Center in Spain, and Elizabeth Lada from the University of Florida.

Visual Description:

The image features the Rosette Nebula, which is a star-forming region in the constellation Monoceros. The image is a combination of X-ray and optical data, showcasing the Rosette Nebula's intricate structure. The dominant colors in the image are many shades of gold, as well as purple, pink, and red. The nebula has a rosette like shape with several interesting structures, such as little elephant trunks, or long tendrils of gas and dust around the center of the nebula. A central cluster of stars in a hollowed out area is visible in the center of the image. Data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory are colored red and pink and are outlined by a white line across the bottom center of the nebula. The X-rays reveal hundreds of young stars clustered in the center of the image and additional fainter clusters on either side. Optical data from the Digitized Sky Survey and the Kitt Peak National Observatory (gold and purple) show large areas of gas and dust, including giant pillars that remain behind after intense radiation from massive stars has eroded the more diffuse gas.

 

Fast Facts for Rosette Nebula:
Credit  X-ray (NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Wang et al), Optical (DSS & NOAO/AURA/NSF/KPNO 0.9-m/T. Rector et al)
Release Date  September 08, 2010
Scale  Image is 1 degree across (about 87 light years).
Category  Normal Stars & Star Clusters
Coordinates (J2000)  RA 06h 31m 52.00s | Dec +04° 55' 57.00"
Constellation  Monoceros
Observation Date  4 pointings on 5-6 Jan 2001, 1 Jan 2004, 9 Feb 2007
Observation Time  50 hours (2 days 2 hours)
Obs. ID  1874-1877, 3750, 8454
Instrument  ACIS
References Wang et al, 2010 ApJ 716:474-489
Color Code  Optical (Purple, Orange, Green, Blue); X-ray (Red)
Optical
X-ray
Distance Estimate  About 5,000 light years
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