The Cone and Fox Fur Nebulae are large regions of gas and dust comprising both absorption and emission nebulae. The Cone Nebula (the southern portion of NGC 2264) is an H II region containing interstellar hydrogen ionized by ultraviolet light from nearby stars and is named for its cone-like shape. The nearby Fox Fur Nebula (also called Sh2-273) is named for its resemblance to the head of a fur stole made from a red fox.
Also appeared at http://www.astronomy.com/photos/picture-of-day April 13, 2016
Technical Information
Date: February, 2015
Location: Green Valley, Arizona
Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106EDX
Camera: SBIG STT-8300M
Filters: Astrodon Gen 2
Mount: AstroPhysics 1200
Exposure: HaRGB = 6:2:2:2 hours respectively, all unbinned
Software: Acquisition: Maxim DL 5, TheSkyX, Pinpoint, CCD Commander
Processing: CCDStack, PhotoShop CS6 with various plugins