What is NGC 2264? NASA shares photo of "Christmas tree" star cluster, sparks wild reactions online

NASA has recently shared an image of NGC 2264, also known as the “Christmas Tree Cluster,” which is a picture of a cluster of stars in the shape of a Christmas tree. As per NASA, the “young stars” are approximately one and five million years old, and are roughly 2,500 light years away from the Earth.

NASA also claimed that the shape of a Christmas tree is formed due to the color and rotation of the stars, as the blue and white lights of these celestial bodies mixed up to give the appearance. Furthermore, NASA also claimed that the stars in the image are small, and even as big as the sun.

Sharing the image, NASA claimed:

“Optical data from the National Science Foundation’s WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak shows gas in the nebula in green, corresponding to the ‘pine needles’ of the tree, and infrared data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey shows foreground and background stars in white.”

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Furthermore, as NASA released the images, they also talked about NGC 2264 and described it as a “large emission nebula located 2,500 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros.”

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"Fascinating": Social media users share wild reactions as NASA shared the image of the Christmas Tree Cluster

With Christmas around the corner, NASA took the opportunity to share the image of the NGC 2264, also known as the “Christmas Tree Cluster, as the stars are grouped in a way that the image resembles a Christmas Tree.

As the image went viral, social media users were left awestruck by the picture, as many took to the internet to share their reactions.

As a Twitter user, @PopBase shared the image on the platform, here is how the masses reacted:

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

Social media users shared reactions as the organization shared an image of stars grouped in a way to resemble the Christmas tree. (Image via @PopBase/ Twitter)

As the organization shared the image, it claimed that the image had been rotated at an angle of 160 degrees from the astronomer’s standard of North pointing upward. However, the images are being shared by multiple people on social media and have been receiving millions of likes and views.