SCIENCEGEEK ADVENT CALENDAR EXTRAVAGANZA! (DAY 1)

day1
THE CHRISTMAS TREE CLUSTER IN NGC2264.
(Look carefully, it’s inverted).

NGC_2264_by_ESO

“NGC 2264: Cone Nebula at bottom with inverted Christmas Tree cluster above the cone; the bright star just above the cone is the tree topper and the very bright star at the top of the image (S Monocerotis) is the center of the tree trunk. The Fox Fur Nebula is at the top right corner. The Snowflake nebula is in the middle which shows up better on the infrared image.”

Image by ESO. Text from Wikipedia.