The Rosette nebula is an emission nebula which lies about 3,000 light years
away from us in the constellation Monoceros.  It is estimated to be about
130 light years in diameter.  The Rosette nebula is a region of star formation.
The stellar winds from the newly formed stars in this region are clearing out
the central part of the nebula, creating a hole in the dense clouds of gas
and dust which make up the nebula. 

This image from the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) was taken at 8.28 µm. 
and covers about 3 x 3 degrees in the sky.

Credit: MSX/IPAC/NASA