One of the most iconic symbols of the season, a Christmas tree. This celestial version takes an optical light image (red, gold, blue, and white) from an astrophotographer that shows the branches of NGC 2264, a relatively young nebula where new stars are forming. (NSA/ESA/CSA/STScI et al. via SWNS)
By Dean Murray
Space scientists have shared four seasonally-themed cosmic wonders.
NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have chosen four new space images for a special holiday card.
NGC 4782 and NGC 4783, a pair of colliding galaxies when oriented in a certain way resembles a snowman. (NSA/ESA/CSA/STScI et al. via SWNS)
Nebula NGC 6357 that contains Pismis 24, a young cluster of stars about 5,500 light-years from Earth. This stellar landscape is reminiscent of a winter vista in a view from NASAÂs James Webb Space Telescope (red, green, and blue). (NSA/ESA/CSA/STScI et al. via SWNS)
The pictures include a pair of colliding galaxies resembling a snowman, a nebula Christmas tree, a snowy winter vista and even a partridge in a pear tree.
Chandra said: "X-rays from Chandra provide a glimpse into the high-energy activity and phenomena in these objects.
"Each of the quartet of objects evokes the winter season or one of its celebratory days either in its name or shape."
M78, a striking nebula in the Orion constellation that may also bring a partridge in the proverbial pear tree to mind. (NSA/ESA/CSA/STScI et al. via SWNS)
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