images

Fox Fur nebula in Monoceros

by

A.Block/MLSC/Univ.of Az/Novapix

Reference

a-neb22-64034

Date

2009-11-15

The region around the 4.7 magnitude star S Mon is a fascinating mixture of red fluorescent hydrogen and dark, obscuring dust lanes. Some dust patches are close enough to bright stars to reflect light from them; these appear blue for the same reason that the day-time sky is blue - because some of the interstellar particles preferentially scatter blue light. The dust is mixed with gas and this affects the appearance of the emission nebulae, giving some of the faintest a curious 'fox fur' texture in this photograph. S Mon is part of a young open cluster of stars named NGC 2264 located about 2600 light years away, just north of the Cone nebula. Image taken with a 24-inch telescope.