An Astro-Photographer Captures a Cosmic Grinch in a Star Cluster with a Holiday Theme
Photo Credit ( Pixabay )
A new rendition of the so-called “Christmas tree cluster” has been released just in time for the holidays. It features a green-tinged image of youthful stars that looks like the grumpy Grinch.
NGC 2264, often known as the Grinchy Christmas tree cluster, is a collection of young stars that range in age from one to five million years. (In contrast, the Sun is a middle-aged star that is 1,000 times older, at around 5 billion years.)
About 2,500 light-years away from Earth, astro-photographer Michael Clow used his telescope in Arizona last month to record optical data (in the green and violet range).
Additionally, the new image incorporates data from the red, purple, blue, and white ranges from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The term “Christmas tree cluster” comes from the conical, wispy green clouds that resemble evergreen trees. However, people are adoring the image because it easily evokes the Grinch in this most recent view.
Seeing faces or figures in the clouds peering back from the rickety pine walls of a cabin decked out for Christmas is a festive example of pareidolia.
