Star Factory

Hot, massive stars illuminate billowing clouds of gas and dust in this view of NGC 2264, a stellar nursery in Monoceros, the unicorn. Radiation and winds from the bright star at the top of the image, S Monocerotis, have carved a bubble in the nebula. Radiation from S Monocerotis and other stars causes hydrogen gas in the cloud to glow. Another bright star is eroding a tight knot of gas and dust, creating the cone-shaped structure known as the Cone Nebula. NGC 2264 has given birth to hundreds of stars, with many more still taking shape. [ESO]