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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                  2024 February 4   
         A starfield is shown that has only a few bright stars. Vertically   
      through the center is a large reddish brown nebula that has a few stars   
        embedded. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.   
      
                            The Cone Nebula from Hubble   
      Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, NASA, ESA - Processing & Licence:   
                                   Judy Schmidt   
      
      Explanation: Stars are forming in the gigantic dust pillar called the   
      Cone Nebula. Cones, pillars, and majestic flowing shapes abound in   
      stellar nurseries where natal clouds of gas and dust are buffeted by   
      energetic winds from newborn stars. The Cone Nebula, a well-known   
      example, lies within the bright galactic star-forming region NGC 2264.   
      The Cone was captured in unprecedented detail in this close-up   
      composite of several observations from the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space   
      Telescope. While the Cone Nebula, about 2,500 light-years away in   
      Monoceros, is around 7 light-years long, the region pictured here   
      surrounding the cone's blunted head is a mere 2.5 light-years across.   
      In our neck of the galaxy that distance is just over half way from our   
      Sun to its nearest stellar neighbors in the Alpha Centauri star system.   
      The massive star NGC 2264 IRS, seen by Hubble's infrared camera in   
      1997, is the likely source of the wind sculpting the Cone Nebula and   
      lies off the top of the image. The Cone Nebula's reddish veil is   
      produced by dust and glowing hydrogen gas.   
      
                      Tomorrow's picture: carina's crazy core   
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          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
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