Cone nebula. True-colour optical image of the Cone nebula in the constellation Monoceros. The Cone is the dark intrusion into the red emission nebula

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Cone nebula. True-colour optical image of the Cone nebula in the constellation Monoceros. The Cone is the dark intrusion into the red emission nebula at lower centre. The emission nebula is powered by a hot young cluster of stars called NGC 2264. The brightest star in the cluster is S or 15 Monocerotis (centre). Ultraviolet radiation from the cluster ionises hydrogen gas in the huge cloud of gas and dust, causing it to glow with the characteristic red/pink colour. This image was produced by digitally combining photographs taken by the Palomar Schmidt Telescope in blue and red light.

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Size: 4278px × 4252px
Photo credit: © CELESTIAL IMAGE CO./SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 15, 2264, astronomy, birth, cluster, cone, cosmology, dark, emission, evolution, formation, imag, monocerotis, neb, nebu, nebula, ngc, palomar, schmidt, science, star, starbirth, stellar, telescope