Christmas Tree Cluster

Cropped image of the Christmas Tree Star Cluster. The full image can be viewed below. Photo: NASA/ESO

NASA photographed Christmas Tree star cluster with ‘decorations’ [photo]

NASA shared a photo of a vibrant collection of stars known as the Snowflake cluster. Here’s why it’s also called the ‘Christmas Tree’ star cluster.

Christmas Tree Cluster

Cropped image of the Christmas Tree Star Cluster. The full image can be viewed below. Photo: NASA/ESO

According to NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) the photo of the Christmas Tree Star cluster was taken by its Spitzer infrared space telescope.

Astronomers say this cluster represents the best “laboratory to date for studying the physics of star formation”. The infant stars, which were discovered in 2006, appear as pink and red specks.

Why is it called the Christmas Tree cluster?

It was dubbed as the ‘Christmas Tree’ cluster due to the shining pink and red stars shining through a thick layer of dust; which resembles snowflakes and the decorations on a Christmas Tree.

“The newly revealed infant stars appear as pink and red specks toward the center and appear to have formed in regularly spaced intervals along linear structures in a configuration that resembles the spokes of a wheel or the pattern of a snowflake. Hence, astronomers have nicknamed this the ‘Snowflake Cluster’.”

NASA press release

NASA also explained that the most visible-light stars “which gave the Christmas Tree Cluster its name and triangular shape do not shine brightly in Spitzer’s infrared eyes”.

It will eventually break apart

That said, NASA added that all of the newborn or newly-formed stars in the ‘dusty cloud’ are considered part of the Christmas Tree star cluster. The cluster will eventually break apart, ruining the ‘Christmas tree’ resemblance.

Christmas Tree Cluster
The “Christmas Tree Cluster” has been seen sporting a shiny new decoration: an ornament made of newborn stars. The stars appear to have formed in regularly spaced intervals along linear structures in a configuration that resembles the spokes of a wheel or the pattern of a snowflake. Hence, astronomers have nicknamed their new discovery the “Snowflake Cluster.” Photo: AFP/NASA/JPL

That is because star-forming clouds are “dynamic and evolving structures”. Scientists believe the stars in this cluster to be ‘newborn’ as they resemble a straight line pattern of spokes of a wheel. NASA explains:

“At a mere 100 000 years old, these infant structures have yet to ‘crawl’ away from their location of birth. Over time, the natural drifting motions of each star will break this order; the snowflake design will be no more.”

The Spitzer infrared space telescope also illuminated the “optically dark and dense Cone Nebula”. The tip of the nebula can be seen towards the bottom left corner of the image.

NGC 2264

The Christmas Tree Cluster’s designation number is NGC 2264, also sometimes referred to as the Cone Nebula. The dust clouds visible in the image below, along with hydrogen and helium, produce new stars.

The Stellar Snowflake Cluster is located 2 700 light years from us, in the constellation Monoceros,. The constellation is not typically visible by the naked eye due to its lack of colossal stars.

Also read – Astronomers discover ‘puff planets’ with the density of candy floss

NGC 2264 by ESO
NGC 2264: Cone Nebula at bottom with inverted Christmas Tree cluster above the cone; the bright star just above the cone is the tree topper and the very bright star at the top of the image (S Monocerotis) is the center of the tree trunk. The Fox Fur Nebula is at the top right corner. The Snowflake nebula is in the middle which shows up better on the infrared image. Credit ESO/Wikimedia