Object Analysis

The Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264) is a young open cluster in the constellation Monoceros. It is part of a larger complex that includes the Cone Nebula and the Fox Fur Nebula. The bright stars of the cluster form a triangular shape that resembles a tree in visible light.

The "tree" appears upside down in northern hemisphere telescopes, with the bright variable star S Monocerotis marking the trunk and the Cone Nebula at the top of the tree. The cluster is about 2,350 light-years away.

This region is an active stellar nursery. The "Snowflake Cluster" located within the nebula gets its name from the distinctive, regular arrangement of protostars that resemble the spokes of a wheel or snowflake pattern.