NASA Reveals Festive Star Clusters Resembling a Wreath and Christmas Tree

New images from the James Webb and Chandra telescopes showcase star clusters NGC 602 and NGC 2264, capturing cosmic formations with holiday-themed appearances.

• NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory collaborated to capture striking images of star clusters NGC 602 and NGC 2264.
• NGC 602, located 200,000 light-years away in the Small Magellanic Cloud, features a wreath-like structure formed by dense dust clouds and high-energy radiation from young stars.
• The Christmas tree-shaped NGC 2264 is a cluster of young stars, aged between one and five million years, located approximately 2,500 light-years from Earth.
• The NGC 2264 image combines Chandra X-ray data with optical observations from astrophotographer Michael Clow, highlighting its cone-shaped, starlit structure.
• These images provide valuable insights into star formation under varying cosmic conditions, from low-heavy-element environments to active stellar creation regions.

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