NGC 2254 Christmas Tree Nebula
Author: Ana Moya
Date: February 2024
Location: Villanueva de Córdoba (Spain), Bortle 4
Telescope: Sky-Watcher ED72 with 0.85x reducer/flattener
Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC
Filter: L-Quad Enhance
Integration time: 109 exposures of 300s (approx. 9 hours)
Distance from Earth: 7,175 light-years
Located in the constellation Monoceros, this nebula is known as the “Christmas Tree” due to its roughly triangular shape and bright points that resemble glowing ornaments. In the sky, it has an apparent size equivalent to about two full moons. Different types of nebulosity coexist within this single object—emission regions, reflection regions, and dark nebulae—making it a particularly rich and diverse example of the interstellar medium.