The Rosette Nebula is a huge star-forming region spanning 100 lightyears across and located 5,000 lightyears away.
It can be seen in the Monoceros constellation in the winter months, located between stars Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion and Procyon in Canis Minor.
To find the Rosette Nebula, draw a line between Betelgeuse and Procyon, then look just south of that line, about halfway along, and you'll see it.
The nebula can't be seen with the naked eye, however, so you'll need a telescope to observe it.
The Rosette Nebula's shape explained
Catalogued as NCG 2237, the Rosette Nebula lives up to its informal nickname, as its circular shape and deep, dark centre gives it a floral appearance.
At the centre of the nebula is NGC 2244, a group of stars that form a gravitationally bound open star cluster thought to be about 4 million years old.
These stars emit streams of charged particles known as stellar winds, carving out the gas and dust at the nebula's centre and giving it the Rosette nickname.
The Rosette Nebula is also known as the 'skull', because the carving of cosmic gas by stellar winds has led some observers to view it as a skull shape.
The surrounding gas that forms a ring around the dark centre is glowing because it is being blasted by radiation from nearby stars, making the Rosette Nebula an emission nebula.
A amazing image of the Rosette Nebula by the Dark Energy Camera was released in 2024, showing just how beautiful this cosmic cloud can be.
Images
Below is a selection of images of the Rosette Nebula captured by BBC Sky at Night Magazine readers and astrophotographers from around the world.
For more info on photographing nebulae, read our guide to deep-sky astrophotography or find out how to fine-tune your images with our guide to deep-sky image processing.
And remember to send us your images: we'd love to see them! You can also share them with us via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Gary Levers, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, 19-20 January 2023
Equipment: ZWO ASI 1600MM camera, William Optics Zenithstar 73 III APO refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 mount
Dave Huxley, Truro, Cornwall, 15 December 2022
Equipment: ZWO ASI 1600MM camera, William Optics FLT98 refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro Rowan Belt mount
Rachael and Jonathan Wood, Doncaster, 3–6 January 2022
Equipment: ZWO ASI294MC Pro camera, Sky-Watcher Evostar ED80 refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro mount
Nigel Arnold, York, 4–14 January 2022
Equipment: QHY268M camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED refractor, Celestron CGX mount
Hannah Rochford, Bruton, Somerset, 10 December 2021, 3, 4 January 2022
Equipment: ZWO ASI2600MM camera, Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R mount
Richard Whitehead, Vermont and New Mexico, January and April 2021
Equipment: ZWO ASI6200MM Pro camera, Celestron 11-inch Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt astrograph,
Celestron CGX mount
Stephen Heliczer, London, 27 February 2021
Equipment: ZWO ASI 294MC Pro colour camera, Radian Raptor 61 apo refractor, SkyGuider Pro tracking mount, Radian tripod
Martin Bracken, Chelmsford, 27 December 2020
Equipment: ZWO ASI 294MC Pro colour camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED apo triplet refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount
Bob Bowers, Haverhill, Suffolk, 20 January 2020
Equipment: Atik Horizon one-shot colour camera, Celestron 8” Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt astrograph, Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 Pro mount
Equipment: Atik Horizon one-shot colour camera, Celestron 8” Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt astrograph, Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 Pro mount
Steve MacDonald, Cyprus, 21–25 November 2019
Equipment: Moravian G2-8300 mono camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 100 apo refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ6 mount
Kevin Hearn, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 21, 23, 24 February 2019
Equipment: Atik 460ex mono camera, Sky-Watcher Evostar ED80 Pro refractor, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro mount.
telescope.
Adam Leach, Kent, 25 February – 3 March 2019. Equipment: Atik 314L CCD camera, Altair Starwave 102ED refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 mount.
Adam Leach, Kent, 25 February – 3 March 2019. Equipment: Atik 314L CCD camera, Altair Starwave 102ED refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro SynScan mount.
Equipment: Altair Hypercam 183M Pro mono camera, Primalucelab Airy black 80T apo refractor, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro SynScan mount.
