Christmas Tree Cluster & Cone Nebula

Taken December 13, 2004 @ Kitt Peak National Observatory

Image Credit: Fred Calvert / KPNO /AURA / NSF

This wide-field image of the Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula  also known as NGC2264, it is an open cluster of stars embedded in a diffuse nebula. It is located in the constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn.

The image also contains two famous nebula. On the left side of the image is the Cone Nebula, and to the lower center, right below the center bleu star is the Fox Fur Nebula.

The bright star just above the center of the image is known as S Mon. The gentle arcs in orange and blue near the center of the image are Herbig Haro objects, jets of gas from protostars embedded in the nebula.

This image was created by combining synthetic luminance with H-Alpha Data, Red +H-Alpha Data, Green and Blue Data.

Equipment:  

Televue (480mm f6.3)  with Televue Field Flattener. SBIG ST10XME w Color Filter Wheel Piggybacked to a RC Optics 20" on a Paramount ME mount.

Exposure Data:

LRGB + H-alpha

Luminance = 45 minutes (synthetic) binned 1 X 1

H-alpha = 180 minutes binned 1 X 1

Red = 45 minutes binned 1 X 1 + Ha blend

Green = 45 minutes binned 1 X 1                                

Blue = 45 minutes binned 1 X 1

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