Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264)

by Gary Lopez FRAS

Objects in field: Christmas Tree Cluster, NGC 2264, LDN 1613, LBN 911, LBN 912, Sh2-273, 15 S Mon, The star 15 Mon

Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro

Integration: 28h 27m

In the constellation Monoceros, the light and hot matter from young, energetic stars cause the interstellar dust and gas to fold, twist, and stretch. The tree-shaped cloud created, nearly 100 light-years long, is decorated with glowing gases and starlight. For this image I combined 19 hours of 2018 narrowband data taken with a 336mm FL telescope with 9 hours of newly acquired Ha data taken with a…