The Christmas Tree Nebula (NGC 2264)

NGC 2264 is a rich star-forming complex in Monoceros containing both the Christmas Tree Cluster and the iconic Cone Nebula — a region where glowing hydrogen gas, dark dust lanes and newly-formed stars exist in dramatic tension.

NGC 2264 is a designation that covers an entire region of activity — a young star cluster whose arrangement resembles a Christmas tree when viewed in the right orientation, surrounded by glowing emission nebulae and punctuated by the Cone Nebula, a striking dark pillar of cold molecular gas rising against the brighter hydrogen behind it.

The region sits around 2,500 light-years away in Monoceros, making it one of the closer star-forming regions to Earth. The young, hot stars of the cluster are energising the surrounding gas, causing it to glow, while denser pockets of dust remain dark — creating the mix of bright emission and dark absorption structures that makes this such a visually rich target.

Framing this region requires some thought — the Christmas Tree orientation and the Cone Nebula don't always sit comfortably in the same field depending on your focal length. Worth planning carefully in stellarium or similar before you image it.