Hold a Shining Superstar Upon the Easiest Bough – NASA
This new view of the “Christmas tree cluster” NGC 2264, launched on Dec. 17, 2024, combines knowledge from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical knowledge from astrophotographer Michael Clow’s telescope in Arizona. Chandra knowledge is represented in pink, pink, blue, and white, whilst optical knowledge is in inexperienced and violet.
Positioned about 2,500 light-years from Earth, NGC 2264 is a cluster of younger stars between one and 5 million years outdated. The celebs are noticed right here as blue and white lighting surrounded by means of swirls of gasoline—the “pine needles” of the tree—with inexperienced representing gentle within the visual spectrum.
Learn extra in regards to the “Christmas tree cluster” – and the “cosmic wreath.”
Symbol credit score: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: Clow, M.; Symbol Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and Okay. Arcand
