The Cone Nebula is an H II region in the constellation of Monoceros. It was discovered by William Herschel on December 26, 1785, at which time he designated it H V.27. The nebula is located about 830 parsecs or 2,700 light-years away from Earth. The Cone Nebula forms part of the nebulosity surrounding the Christmas Tree Cluster. The designation of NGC 2264 in the New General Catalogue refers to both objects and not the nebula alone.
The diffuse Cone Nebula, so named because of its apparent shape, lies in the southern part of NGC 2264, the northern part being the magnitude-3.9 Christmas Tree Cluster. It is in the northern part of Monoceros, just north of the midpoint of a line from Procyon to Betelgeuse.
The cone's shape comes from a dark absorption nebula consisting of cold molecular hydrogen and dust in front of a faint emission nebula containing hydrogen ionized by S Monocerotis, the brightest star of NGC 2264. The faint nebula is approximately seven light-years long (with an apparent length of 10 arcminutes), and is 2,700 light-years away from Earth.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ106ED
Imaging cameras: ATIK 460 EX Mono
Mounts: Takahashi EM 200 Temma 2
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS 60 CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal reducers: Takahashi QE 0.73X
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight , Sequence Generator Pro SGP
Filters: Astronomik OIII 12nm, Ha 12nm, Astronomik SII 12nm
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW2
Resolution: 2500x1744
Dates: March 11, 2015
Frames: OIII SII HA: 9x600"
Integration: 1.5 hours
Avg. Moon age: 19.51 days
Avg. Moon phase: 76.63%
RA center: 100.272 degrees
DEC center: 9.675 degrees
Orientation: 178.924 degrees
Field radius: 0.590 degrees
The diffuse Cone Nebula, so named because of its apparent shape, lies in the southern part of NGC 2264, the northern part being the magnitude-3.9 Christmas Tree Cluster. It is in the northern part of Monoceros, just north of the midpoint of a line from Procyon to Betelgeuse.
The cone's shape comes from a dark absorption nebula consisting of cold molecular hydrogen and dust in front of a faint emission nebula containing hydrogen ionized by S Monocerotis, the brightest star of NGC 2264. The faint nebula is approximately seven light-years long (with an apparent length of 10 arcminutes), and is 2,700 light-years away from Earth.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ106ED
Imaging cameras: ATIK 460 EX Mono
Mounts: Takahashi EM 200 Temma 2
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS 60 CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal reducers: Takahashi QE 0.73X
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight , Sequence Generator Pro SGP
Filters: Astronomik OIII 12nm, Ha 12nm, Astronomik SII 12nm
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW2
Resolution: 2500x1744
Dates: March 11, 2015
Frames: OIII SII HA: 9x600"
Integration: 1.5 hours
Avg. Moon age: 19.51 days
Avg. Moon phase: 76.63%
RA center: 100.272 degrees
DEC center: 9.675 degrees
Orientation: 178.924 degrees
Field radius: 0.590 degrees