NGC 2244 - The Rosette Nebula (Hubble Colors)

Equipment: 12.5" RCOS RC on a Software Bisque Paramount ME, SBIG STL-6303e astro CCD camera

Exposure: Mapped SII/Ha/OIII mosaic, 90:210:60 min (left) and 90:150:90 min (right)

Location: Ballauer Observatory near Azle, Texas. November 2005 to January 2006.

No, this isn’t a Hubble shot. But this image was acquired and processed just like the gorgeous Hubble telescope images that we’ve come to love, using specialized narrowband emission line filters mapped to the traditional red, green, and blue channels. The greenish portions represent hydrogen-alpha ionized gases, the bluish color represents doubly ionized oxygen gases, and the reddish areas represent singly ionized sulfur gases.

This image was named NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 24, 2006, titled “When Roses Aren’t Red.”