Week's Best New Space Pictures: Christmas Lights and Vermont Nights

Christmas Tree Nebula Shines for the Season

Photograph by Fred Herrmann, National Geographic Your Shot

Season's greetings! The Cone and Christmas Tree nebulae glow merrily in this lovely view submitted to National Geographic's Your Shot on December 17.

Hydrogen gas lit by a bright star inside the nebula explains the ruddy glow of theChristmas Tree Nebula.

Roughly 2,700 light-years away, the Cone Nebula (on the left) poses a bit of a puzzle to astronomers. They suspect that a powerful stellar wind from a compact star at the tip of the cone explains its shape.

—Dan Vergano

Published December 20, 2013 

check out more fab pics    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/pictures/131220-best-new-space-photos-276-science-christmas-milky-way-vermont/