A cosmic Christmas tree has been spotted in the Milky Way galaxy

Astronomers have presented a unique cosmic structure resembling a Christmas tree, formed by new stars in the NGC 2264 region, located about 2.7 thousand light-years from Earth. The study was published by NASA, it clearly demonstrates how young stars form the surrounding space on a galactic scale. This was reported in the journal Science Daily.

The NGC 2264 region is located in the constellation of the Unicorn (Monoceros) and includes stars, clouds of gas and dust, from which new luminaries are formed. The main cluster, known as the "Christmas Tree," is a triangular arrangement of young stars topped by an impressive Cone Nebula and surrounded by a structure dubbed the Fox Fur Nebula.

Bright newly formed stars cause hydrogen gas to glow, forming red emission nebulae. Dark dust clouds create shadows, and patches of dust near hot stars reflect their light, forming blue reflex nebulae. In the center of the cluster is the variable star S Monocerotis, surrounded by a noticeable blue glow of reflected light.

The total length of the "cosmic Christmas tree" when viewed through a telescope reaches 1.5 degrees — about the width of three full moons, which corresponds to almost 80 light-years in real space. These scales clearly demonstrate the dynamism and grandeur of the star formation region.

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On December 24, the laboratory reported that the number of days with magnetic storms in 2025 was the highest in the last 10 years. According to the IKI RAS, for 358 days since the beginning of the year, geomagnetic disturbances were registered in 69 cases, which is significantly higher than in 2024 (44 days) and comparable to the record values of 2015-2016. The total number of geomagnetically disturbed days, when the Kp index (indicator of geomagnetic activity) reached its maximum values, was 164 days, which is 75% more than last year. This is the highest number since 2005, when 169 such days were recorded.

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