The beauty and grandeur of this place is enhanced by the star cluster embedded within it, and the lovely floral pattern makes it a popular target for astrophotographers. You are looking at an emission nebula, so called because of the light emitted due to radiation from the stars it contains. It is known as the “Rosette Nebula”, although some folks think the shape bears some resemblance to a human skull. The nebula contains numerous regions of intense star formation, which has produced a rich population of young stars. The bubble in the center was excavated by powerful winds from a couple of giant stars in the vicinity. If you like trivia, you’ll want to know that the Rosette Nebula was chosen as the official astronomical object for the state of Oklahoma. The nebula and its resident cluster are five thousand light years from Earth and can be seen in the sky between the constellations of Orion and Canis Minor.
