The Christmas Tree Cluster
by Davide De Martin/science Photo Library
Title
The Christmas Tree Cluster
Artist
Davide De Martin/science Photo Library
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The Christmas Tree Cluster, also known as NGC 2264, is a well-known region in the Monoceros (the Unicorn) constellation. The Christmas Tree Cluster, the blue reflection nebula surrounding bright stars, was so named because it looks like a tree in visible light. The nebula is roughly 2500 light-years away. Atop the image the well-known Cone Nebula is also visible. The Cone Nebula region clearly contains much dust which blocks light from the emission nebula and open cluster NGC 2264 behind it. The Fox Fur Nebula has a strange shape originate from fine interstellar dust reacting in complex ways with the energetic light and hot gas being expelled by the young stars. This image was created from photographic material taken with the 1.22 metre Oschin Telescope at Palomar Mountain Observatory, forming part of the Digitized Sky Survey 2.
Uploaded
October 15th, 2019
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