Visible image of the Christmas Tree Cluster
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! To keep with the spirit, today I present the Christmas Tree Cluster! The Christmas Tree cluster is another name for the young star forming region NGC 2264. It's main feature, the cone nebula, has a tree like shape with a bright star on top, mimicking a Christmas tree. The triangle shaped object is a cloud of gas and dust in which stars are currently forming. The bright star above it has recently formed and has just begun to burn hydrogen in its core. This star appears so bright because it is a B-type star (very bright and hot) which is 10 times the size of our sun! Merry Christmas!
Image Credit: ESO
