NGC 2264 – The Christmas Tree Cluster & Cone Nebula
NGC 2264 is one of the most rewarding winter targets for astrophotographers in the northern hemisphere. The designation actually covers a complex of objects: the iconic Christmas Tree Cluster, the Cone Nebula, the Fox Fur Nebula, and the Snowflake Cluster – all embedded in a rich emission nebula in the constellation Monoceros. The exposures were done in two nights on 28/29th and 30/31st December 2025. The image is a composit of exposures taken trough H-apha and RGB filters.
NGC 2264, Christmas Tree Cluster, image data: f=1000mm, f/4 Ha: 15x600s RGB: 27, 18, 27x300s Atik 460Exm
The cluster's triangular shape, formed by young, hot stars, creates the unmistakable Christmas tree silhouette when oriented correctly (rotate the image ~160° from standard north-up orientation). At the "trunk" sits S Monocerotis (15 Mon), a bright variable star at magnitude ~4.7 – visible to the naked eye under good conditions. The "tree topper" is the famous Cone Nebula, a 7 light-year tall pillar of gas and dust reminiscent of the Pillars of Creation in M16.
The region is part of the Mon OB1 association in the Orion Arm – an active stellar nursery where ultraviolet radiation from newborn blue giants ionizes surrounding hydrogen, producing the characteristic red glow in Hα imagery.
The Fox Fur Nebula component shows beautiful blue reflection nebulosity from young stars, adding RGB interest to narrowband compositions.
General Data
Distance |
~2,350–2,500 light-years |
Apparent size |
~30 light-years across |
Stellar ages |
1–5 million years |
Stellar masses |
0.1–7 M☉ |
Constellation |
Monoceros |
Catalog designations |
NGC 2264, LBN 911, Sh2-273, Cr 112 |
NGC 2264 with annotations
- Exposure Data:
Telescope: 10" Newton, GPU Corrector, f=1000mm, f/4
Camera Atik 460Exm with Baader RGB filters and Baader Ha narrow band filter 7nm transmission bandwidth
- Exposure Times
15x600s Ha
27x300s R
18x300s G
27x300s B
Total: 8h30min
Date: 28.12.-30.12.2025
Location: Fuerfeld / Germany
Mount Skywatcher EQ8R-pro / Pegasus Astro EQMod
Guiding and Exposure Control with INDI / PHD2 / CCDCiel running on XUbuntu Linux
Image Processing PixInsight and Darktable