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Credit & Copyright: Stanislav Volskiy,
Chilescope Team
Explanation:
Clouds of glowing hydrogen gas fill this colorful skyscape in the faint
but fanciful constellation
Monoceros,
the Unicorn.
A star forming region
cataloged
as NGC 2264, the complex jumble of
cosmic gas and dust is about 2,700 light-years distant and
mixes reddish emission nebulae
excited by energetic light from
newborn stars with dark
interstellar dust clouds.
Where the otherwise obscuring dust clouds lie close
to the hot, young stars they also reflect starlight, forming blue
reflection nebulae.
The telescopic
image spans about 3/4 degree or nearly 1.5 full moons,
covering 40 light-years at the distance of NGC 2264.
Its cast of cosmic characters includes the
the Fox Fur Nebula, whose
dusty, convoluted pelt lies near the top,
bright variable star S Monocerotis immersed in the blue-tinted haze
near center, and the
Cone
Nebula pointing in from the right side of the frame.
Of course, the stars
of NGC 2264
are also known as the Christmas Tree star cluster.
The triangular tree shape is seen on its side here.
Traced by brighter stars it has its apex at the Cone Nebula.
The tree's broader base is centered near
S
Monocerotis.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: emission nebula - reflection nebula - NGC 2264 - S Mon
Publications with words: emission nebula - reflection nebula - NGC 2264 - S Mon
See also:
- APOD: 2025 July 21 Á Cats Paw Nebula from Webb Space Telescope
- APOD: 2025 July 16 Á The Rosette Nebula from DECam
- APOD: 2025 July 5 Á Ou4: The Giant Squid Nebula
- APOD: 2025 June 26 Á The Seagull Nebula
- NGC 6164: A Dragon s Egg
- APOD: 2025 February 18 Á Thors Helmet versus the Seagull
- Reflections on VdB 31