Cone Nebula, NGC 2264 CDK24

Cone Nebula, NGC 2264, Pictured as a star forming region cataloged as NGC 2264 , the complex jumble of cosmic gas and dust is about 2,700 light-years distant and mixes reddish emission nebulae excited by energetic light from newborn stars with dark interstellar dust clouds. Where the otherwise obscuring dust clouds lie close to the hot, young stars they also reflect starlight, forming blue reflection nebulae. The image spans about 3/4 degree or nearly 1.5 full moons, covering 40 light-years at the distance of NGC 2264. Its cast of cosmic characters includes  the Cone Nebula at the bottom. It also  appears to be a hooded woman peering up at a dark cave. The stars of NGC 2264 are also known as the Christmas Tree cluster where the  loosely defined tree shape is created by the nebula and the  stars. Although here it appears upside down here with its apex at the top of the  Cone Nebula. There is also a ghoulish interloper peering down from the upper right.  The image is in true color with the red color coming from hydrogen emission and blue color coming from reflected light from the bright stars.