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Emission nebula

The Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula

Also NGC 2264 · Cone Nebula · Christmas Tree Cluster · Snowflake Cluster

Open in Ouranos

A young star cluster in Monoceros wrapped in glowing gas, with the dark Cone Nebula pointing at it from the south.

Measured

Distance
2,284 light-years
Constellation
Monoceros
Position (J2000)
RA 6h 40m 54s, Dec +9.88°

How far, from the Sun

2,280 light-years. To cross it:

  • Light2,280 years
  • Voyager 1's speed40.6 million years
  • Driving at 100 km/h24.7 billion years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • Its dominant star, S Monocerotis, sits near the base of the 'tree'.
  • Gaia picks out about 224 member stars (Hunt & Reffert 2023).

Where this comes from

  • Hunt & Reffert 2023, A&A 673, A114: Gaia DR3 cluster distance 700.4 pc (16th–84th percentile 699.2–701.6 pc)
  • This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
  • This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.