Pictured as a star forming region and cataloged as NGC 2264, the complex jumble of cosmic gas and dust is about 2,700 light-years distant and mixes reddish emission nebulae excited by energetic light from newborn stars with dark interstellar dust clouds. Where the otherwise obscuring dust clouds lie close to the hot, young stars they also reflect starlight, forming blue reflection nebulae. The telescopic image spans about 3/4 degree or nearly 1.5 full moons, covering 40 light-years at the distance of NGC 2264. Its cast of cosmic characters includes the Fox Fur Nebula, S-Monocerotis star visible just above the Fox Fur, and the Cone Nebula Given their distribution, the stars of NGC 2264 are also known as the Christmas Tree star cluster.

To obtain this image i have accumulated 14 hours. That used H-alpha filter 44 shots, OIII 14 shots, and SII 24 shots of 10 minutes each filter.