Introduction | Map | My Own Photos | My Own Observations | References
On this page I collect my observations of the area designated as NGC 2264 in the constellation Monoceros/Unicorn. It contains the open star cluster named Christmas Tree Cluster and and a dark nebula named Cone Nebula.
NGC 2264 in the constellation Monoceros describes an area consisting of a part of an H-II region* (with a dark nebula in front of it, the Cone Nebula), a star cluster (the Christmas Tree Star Cluster***) and the diffuse nebula in between.
*) This might be Sharpless 2-273, which seems to be also called Fox Fur Nebula.
**) The Cone Nebula is a dark nebula that looks like a cone.
***) The open star cluster is called Christmas Tree Cluster because it resembles a Christmas tree, which is, depending on the observation instrument, standing upright or upside down. The star cluster should be recognizable even with the naked eye.
Note: On the eVscope (2) photos you can only see a part of the Christmas Tree Cluster; that is why I was not able to identify the cluster!
In the neighborhood (Vespera mosaic), you can find the nebulae IC 446, IC 447 (= IC 1269), NGC 2245, and NGC 2247.
Size: 20' (Stoyan)
Distance: 2,500 light years (Stoyan)
Ranking: *** (Stoyan)
NGC 2264, the Christmas Tree cluster; below it, the galactic emission nebula NGC 2237-39/46 (Rosette Nebula) and the open star cluster NGC 2244 inside the nebula (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)
NGC 2264 (Monoceros), unprocessed |
Ditto, post-processed |
Ditto, post-processed and sharpened |
Confirmed using Karkoschka, Stoyan, and Stellarium.
NGC 2264 - Mar 20, 2022 |
NGC 2264 - Mar 20, 2022, photo left processed |
NGC 2264, Feb 8, 2023 - original, mosaic, 3200s |
NGC 2264, Feb 8, 2023 - large, photo left processed (denoised version) |
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Evaluation with astrometry.net, unprocessed photo used |
Ditto, processed photo used |
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Section "Christmas Tree Cluster" - large, denoised, rotated |
Section "further nebulae" (upper part of the mosaic): IC446, IC 447 (= IC 2169), NGC 2245, NGC 2247 - large, denoised |