#s mon

NGC 2264

NGC 2264 is a nebula located about 2,700 light years away towards the constellation Monoceros, the Unicorn. There are a number of smaller nebulae embedded in the larger cloud, including the Cone Nebula and Fox Fur Nebula.

Stars in the cloud ionize surrounding gas, primarily hydrogen, creating emission nebulae glowing a characteristic red. Reflected starlight creates reflection nebulae, glowing blue. NGC 2264 contains both the star cluster called the Christmas Tree Cluster and S Mon, a bright variable star.

(via APOD: 2012 April 10 - A Fox Fur, a Unicorn, and a Christmas Tree Image Credit: Rolf Geissinger)

In the constellation Monoceros, the Unicorn, there is this confluence of nebulae and star clusters.

Below center is the Fox Fur nebula, and the bluish reflection haze in the dust is from the star S Mon.

At the top of image center is the Cone Nebula sitting above the Christmas Tree star cluster. The positioning of the image puts the Christmas Tree standing "upright", but not positioned that way it is usually seen.

Here's NGC 2264, which includes both the Christmas Tree cluster and the Cone Nebula in the designation, as imaged by Spitzer in the infrared (which shows off the Snowflake Nebula in the middle, as well):

An infrared Spitzer Space Telescope image of NGC 2264 Credit: SIRTF/NASA/ESA. via Wikipedia

This is the same shot in optical from the La Silla Observatory in the Atacama desert of Chile:

Credit ESO