NASA captured a photo of a “Christmas tree” 2,500 light-years from Earth

In the animated version of the image, NASA shows blue and white lights and stars. young stars emitting X-rays discovered by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, as well as infrared data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey showing foreground and background stars in white.

The image was rotated 160 degrees clockwise so that the top of the “tree” was pointing upward.

The scientists also explain that there may be changes in the thickness of the gas obscuring the stars, as well as other changes due to cosmic material falling onto them from the surrounding gaseous disks. Young stars, like the cluster NGC 2264, exhibit instability and strong bursts of X-ray emission that can be more powerful than our Sun, observed in different types of light.