“A Cosmic Christmas Tree: NGC 2264 Shines as Festive Star Cluster”
NGC 2264, known as the “Christmas Tree Cluster,” has been captured in a stunning new composite image that bears a striking resemblance to a cosmic Christmas tree. This star cluster, located in the Milky Way and about 2,500 light-years from Earth, consists of young stars ranging in age from one to five million years old.
The composite image, enhanced with specific color choices and rotation, has brought out the festive resemblance of NGC 2264 to a Christmas tree. The stars in the cluster have been depicted with blue and white lights representing X-rays observed by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, while optical data from the WIYN telescope shows a green nebula of gas, and infrared data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey reveals white foreground and background stars.
The variation in the size and brightness of the stars in NGC 2264 is attributed to their young and volatile nature. These stars produce strong flares in X-rays and other types of variations seen at different wavelengths of light. The coordinated, blinking variations shown in the image are artificial and used simply to emphasize the comparison of this star cluster to a Christmas tree. In reality, the variations of the stars are not synchronized.
Observations from Chandra and other telescopes have revealed that the variations in the stars are caused by processes such as activity involving magnetic fields, changes in the thickness of gas obscuring the stars, and variations in the amount of material falling onto the stars from surrounding gas disks.
The stunning new image of NGC 2264 provides a captivating glimpse into the cosmic spectacle of this young star cluster, as well as the intricate dynamics and interactions taking place within. It serves as a reminder of the beauty and wonder of the universe during the festive holiday season.