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See a zoo of animals in the Rosette Nebula

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February 2, 2024

Zoo of animals: A bright pink nebulosity with dark blobs in front labeled with animal names. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the Ras Al Khaimah Mountains, UAE, created this composite image with data collected over 3 nights (nearly 12 hours of data). It’s the famous Rosette Nebula. And Tameem added: “I discovered a new and fun piece of information: We can see animal shapes near the center of the nebula. I added the names of these animals, and they actually match their real forms.” Thank you, Tameem. Take a closer look, and see if you can catch them too!

See a zoo of animals in space

The Rosette Nebula is a beautiful collection of gas and dust that looks like its name. The Rosette lies about 5,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn, and stretches about 130 light-years across. It is an emission nebula, meaning that the gases that compose it glow thanks to the radiation from local stars. The young stars in the nebula’s center are gravitationally bound to each other; they form an open cluster, made from the material of the nebula.

EarthSky friend Tameem Altameemi shared a closer look at a portion of this gorgeous nebula and labeled a whole zoo of animals hiding inside (see top image). Tameem said:

This is one of my best deep sky images. It took three days from me to complete almost 12 hours of data. The Rosette Nebula, known as NGC 2237, is significantly larger than the famous Orion Nebula, which is much closer to the Earth. It is a region of intense star formation.

And while searching for more information about the Rosette, I discovered a new and fun piece of information: We can identify animals present near the center of the nebula.

I added the names of these animals, and they actually match their real forms.

So fun! Thank you, Tameem.

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A wider view of the Rosette

Tight swirls of bright pink and red clouds in a dense star field. — View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Here’s a wider view of the Rosette Nebula from Tameem Altameemi. The “animals” are at the upper left, inside the edge. Thank you, Tameem!

Bottom line: A closer look at the Rosette Nebula reveals a whole zoo of animals, including an elephant, a llama, a woodpecker, a donkey and more. Can you see them?

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February 2, 2024

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Kelly Kizer Whitt

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About the Author:

Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives in Wisconsin.