12/22/2024 – The Christmas Tree Cluster

Merry Christmas!!! NGC 2264 and the surrounding area seemed like a very appropriate target for this time of year. Very cold (24 F), mostly clear, night with a waning last quarter Moon which did not rise until after midnight. A few high thin clouds off in the ENE, but these cleared after about 10 PM and did not impact the area where the scope was pointed. I was able to collect about 6 hours of light from NGC 2264 which is also known as the Christmas Tree Cluster.

After framing up the region using the NINA Framing Assistant, I created the sequence for the night. Started the NINA sequence just before 9 PM. The sequence ran through the night with a meridian flip occurring around 12:45 AM. Everything worked well with my guiding total RMS hovering between 0.55 and 0.65 arc seconds. After looping through 6 hours of exposures the sequence completed and parked the scope in my ScopeDown position at around 3:30 AM.

Primary (Imaging)	Secondary (Guiding)
Scope: Astro-Tech AT66ED with .8 Focal Reducer (320mm – F/4.8) Filter: ZWO Duo-Band Ha/OIII Filter Camera: ZWO ASI294 MC Pro, Cooled to -10 C Focuser: Gemini Autostar Focuser Mount: Sky Watcher EQ6-R Pro	Scope: SVBONY SV165 30mm F/4 Guide Scope Camera: Orion Star Shooter Autoguider (OSSAG)
Telescope Control, Image Acquisition, and Image Processing Software
Equipment Control and Imaging Software: NINA/PHD2/ASCOM on a Mini-PC Processing Software: Siril’s Interactive Companion (Sirilic), PixInsight

NGC 2264, the Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula, is a small open star cluster and star forming region in the constellation of Monoceros. The star cluster, emission nebula, and dust surroundings is about 2,300 light years from Earth.

This is a Sirilic stack of 120 x 180 second exposures at 121 gain, 30 offset, and bin 2×2. The stack was calibrated with a master dark, no flats. The stacked data was then processed in PixInsight using my basic workflow with a few tweaks.

There is an area of dusty clouds left of the Cone Nebula. Lots of cool details in the clouds through out the center. Some halos around a few stars, but I am really digging this image. Hubble’s variable nebula, NGC 2261, is off to the left near the edge of the field of view.