NGC 2238 - THE ROSETTE NEBULA

Monoceros

  (ra: 6:30,6 / dec 05:07)

DATA

TYPE: Diffuse Nebula with Open Cluster

VISUAL MAGNITUDE: NGC 2238 N/A - NGC 2244 4.8

SIZE: 80 x 60 arc minutes

DISTANCE: 5.5 light years

OBJECT DESCRIPTION

NGC 2238 o better known as the Rosette Nebula is a vast dust cloud and gas spreading an area bigger than one degree which covers the size of five full moons and a distance of 130 light years across.

In the photograph it is shown only part of it, notwithstanding the focal length of 600 mm used. In the centre of the nebula is located NGC 2244 of magnitude 4.8 and 24 arcs minutes of diameter. It is visible with binoculars and contains young stars (in average 3 million years) which are formed out the cloud material. Filaments of dark dust mater can be detect in the image which are generated by the interaction of stellar winds and radiation 

IMAGE INFORMATION

SCOPE: Orion ED 80, Vixen GPDX Mount, with Sky Sensor 2000

SKY CONDITIONS: Visual limit magnitude 4.

CAMERA: Starlight Xpress SXV M7 @f 6.3

FILTERS: Astronomik Ha

EXPOSSURES: 5 x 5 minutes

GUIDING: Synta 70/400 Refractor and SXV Guide Head, AA 3.71 Control Camera Plugin

PROCESSED: Calibrated darks, flats, and offsets in ImagesPlus. Photoshop CS