explanation
What creates the cosmic dust sculptures in the Rosette Nebula? Noted for the common beauty of its overall shape [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010214.html ], parts of the Rosette Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020317.html ], also known as NGC 2244, show beauty even when viewed up close. Visible above are globules [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html ] of dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] and gas that are slowly being eroded [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap041004.html ] away by the energetic light and winds by nearby massive stars. Left alone long enough, the molecular-cloud globules [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030202.html ] would likely form stars and planets. The above image [ http://www.astrogranada.org/astroimagen/html/pag_img/ccd/roseta_sii_oiii_ha.htm ] was taken in very specific colors of Sulfur [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur ] (shaded red), Hydrogen [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen ] (green), and Oxygen [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen ] (blue). The Rosette Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000111.html ] spans about 50 light-years [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cosmic_distance.html ] across, lies about 4,500 light-years away [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2000A%26A...358..553H ], and can be seen with a small telescope towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of the Unicorn [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn ] (Monoceros [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=55 ]).
Explanation
false