The Snowflake Cluster is a young open cluster located in the constellation Monoceros. It is one of the objects found within the designation NGC 2264, along with the Cone Nebula, the Christmas Tree Cluster, and the Fox Fur Nebula, but not officially included. The cluster lies at an approximate distance of 2,400 light years from Earth.
The Snowflake Cluster is part of the larger Christmas Tree Cluster. It consists of a compact group of bright protostars that appear geometrically arranged in a pattern similar to that of a single crystal of snow. The young stars in the cluster seem to have formed in regularly spaced intervals in a structure that now resembles a snowflake or spokes of a wheel.
The stars in the cluster are tightly packed and believed to be only 100,000 years old. They have not yet moved away from their stellar nursery. The snowflake pattern will dissipate when they eventually do.
Snowflake Cluster
Constellation: Monoceros
Object type: Open cluster
Distance: 2,400 light years
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