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Credit & Copyright: R Jay Gabany
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 wide mosaic 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
convoluted pelt lies at the upper left, bright
variable star S Mon immersed in the blue-tinted haze
just below the Fox Fur, and the
Cone Nebula at the far right.
Of course, the stars of NGC 2264 are also known as the
Christmas Tree
star cluster.
The triangular tree shape traced by the stars appears sideways here,
with its apex at the Cone Nebula and its broader base
centered near S Mon.
Note : APOD Editor to Speak in New York on Jan. 2
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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 B Cats Paw Nebula from Webb Space Telescope
- APOD: 2025 July 16 B The Rosette Nebula from DECam
- APOD: 2025 July 5 B Ou4: The Giant Squid Nebula
- APOD: 2025 June 26 B The Seagull Nebula
- NGC 6164: A Dragon s Egg
- APOD: 2025 February 18 B Thors Helmet versus the Seagull
- Reflections on VdB 31