The Rosette Nebula, NGC 2244, acrylic on panel, 18 x 24. Sold.

The constellation Monoceros's name means the Unicorn, and the Unicorn has a rose. This very large nebula surrounds the galactic star cluster NGC 2244. Other sections of the Rosette have been assigned the NGC numbers 2237, 2238, 2239 and 2246. It takes astronomical photography to record all the rich red colors of the Rosette. The red won't show up visually through a telescope, although the central star cluster, haloed by light, will. It's about 5,200 light-years from us, although distance estimates by scientists vary considerably.