Chandra Release - September 8, 2010

Visual Description: The Rosette Nebula

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.