Video Credit: ESO
Zooming in on the Cone Nebula
Reply
Tag Archives: NGC 2264
NGC 2264
NGC 2264 is the designation number of the New General Catalogue that identifies two astronomical objects as a single object: the Cone Nebula and the Christmas Tree Cluster,
In this picture the Cone Nebula is at bottom with inverted Christmas Tree cluster above the cone. The bright star just above the cone is the tree topper, and the very bright star at the top of the image is the center of the tree trunk.
Image Credit: ESO
The Cone Nebula
The cone’s shape comes from a dark absorption nebula consisting of cold molecular hydrogen and dust in front of a faint emission nebula containing hydrogen ionized by S Monocerotis, the brightest star of NGC 2264. The faint nebula is approximately 2,700 light-years from Earth.
Beldar was unavailable to confirm that this is the correct location for his home planet Remulak.
Image Credit: NASA