The Rosette Nebula
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	Common Name: The Rosette Nebula Other Names: NGC 2237-9 , Open Cluster NGC 2244 RA: 06 : 32.3 Dec +5 : 03 Constellation: Monoceros Distance: 5500 light years Magnitude: 4.8 (Open cluster) Telescope: Orion ED80 Camera: SBig ST-8 Filters: BVR Exposure: 50:50:50 minutes Date: 10th December 2006 Where: Tenby Observatory, Coonabarabran Lat: 31 16 35.05 S, Long 149 11 33.99 E, Elevation 547metres Notes: The Rosette Nebula is an emission nebula that is excited by an open cluster in the centre of the nebula called NGC 2244. The nebula is predominantly hydrogen gas, helium, and dust equivalent to 10 000 solar masses. It covers more than 5 full moons across the sky however too dim to be seen with the naked eye apart from the cluster stars. Nebulae are star forming regions and this is still going on in this nebula. The stars will clear away the gas and dust eventuall and you can see this happening with the cleared space in the centre around the cluster of stars. The nebual is 130 light years across and 5500 light years distant. The star cluster was discovered by Flamsteed in 1690 and the nebula was first noticed by William Herschel. Different parts of the nebula were discovered at different times, hence the different catalogue numbers.