A Big Rose

Billowing clouds of gas and dust form the Rosette Nebula, a stellar nursery named for its resemblance to a rose. The nebula spans more than 100 light-years, and is giving birth to new stars. Several hot young stars inside the nebula produce ultraviolet energy that causes the surrounding gas to glow. The visible nebula is part of a much larger complex of gas and dust known as the Rosette Molecular Cloud. In all, it's given birth to about 2,500 stars in the last few million years. This view also shows ribbons of cold, dark dust, where new stars are most likely to be taking shape. [Nick Wright (University College London)/IPHAS Collaboration]