Cone Nebula. Optical image of the dark Cone Nebula (lower centre) and part of the emission nebula NGC 2264 (red). A nebula consists of gas and dust. A

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Cone Nebula. Optical image of the dark Cone Nebula (lower centre) and part of the emission nebula NGC 2264 (red). A nebula consists of gas and dust. A dark nebula mostly does not emit or reflect light. An emission nebula has been heated by nearby stars until the hydrogen gas it contains glows red. A reflection nebula reflects starlight. The tip of the Cone Nebula is shining by reflected light and parts also glow red. The Cone Nebula is about 6 light years long. The stars are part of the Xmas Tree open star cluster. These nebulae are in a region of star formation around 2400 light years distant in the constellation Monoceros.

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Size: 3600px × 3400px
Photo credit: © CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE/JEANCHARLES CUILLANDRE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2264, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysics, birth, canada-france-hawaii, cone, cosmology, dark, dust, emission, evolution, formation, gas, glowing, hot, hydrogen, monoceros, nebula, nebulae, ngc, optical, science, space, star, starbirth, stellar, universe, warm