NGC2264, THE CHRISTMAS TREE CLUSTER & CONE NEBULA on 2024-12-19,20,21,22

NGC2264, The Christmas Tree Cluster and the Cone Nebula are located in the Monoceros constellation about 2,300 light-years from Earth. The Christmas Tree Cluster is a young open star cluster that resembles a Christmas tree. In this image the Christmas tree appears upside-down. The Cone Nebula is a dark cloud of dust and gas that appears at the apex of the Christmas tree. The Christmas Tree Cluster provides a glimpse into the early stages of stellar evolution. The Cone Nebula is actively forming new stars. The Fox Fur Nebula, Sh2 273, and the Snowflake Cluster are also part of NGC2264.

This photo was taken in Kyle, Texas through a 4.5-inch f/4 Telescope, on a ZWO AM5 Mount, with a ZWO ASI533MC PRO color camera plus a dual-band H-Alpha & O-III Filter. The processing was done in PixInsight. The total image acquisition time is: 15 hrs 15 min 00 sec.

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