Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2020 December 26

                    Fox Fur, Unicorn, and Christmas Tree
       Image Credit & Copyright: Miguel Claro (TWAN, Dark Sky Alqueva)

   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 1.5 degrees or 3
   full moons, covering nearly 80 light-years at the distance of NGC 2264.
   Its cast of cosmic characters includes the the Fox Fur Nebula, whose
   dusty, convoluted pelt lies left of center, 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.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixel in space
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
                NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

--- hpt/lnx 1.9.0