March 11, 2014
Your life began on a planet that never stops moving under a sky that never stops changing.
In the Heart of the Rosette Nebula
Birthday · March 11, 2014
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APOD published March 11, 2014. Credit: Don Goldman. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
In the heart of the Rosette Nebula lies a bright open cluster of stars that lights up the nebula. The stars of NGC 2244 formed from the surrounding gas only a few million years ago. The above image taken in January using multiple exposures and very specific colors of Sulfur (shaded red), Hydrogen (green), and Oxygen (blue), captures the central region in tremendous detail. A hot wind of particles streams away from the cluster stars and contributes to an already complex menagerie of gas and dust filaments while slowly evacuating the cluster center. The Rosette Nebula's center measures about 50 light-years across, lies about 4,500 light-years away, and is visible with binoculars towards the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros). Follow APOD on: Facebook, Google Plus, or Twitter
Image credit: Don Goldman