Postcard from space Cone Nebula (NGC 2264)   Cone Nebula, a ghostly star-forming pillar of gas and dust   13 August 2003   Resembling a beast from a nightmare, rearing its head from a crimson sea, this celestial object is just a pillar of gas and dust. Called the Cone Nebula, this pillar resides in a turbulent star-forming region.   This picture was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the upper 2.5 light-years of the Cone, a height equal to 23 million round trips to the Moon. The entire pillar is seven light-years long!     More about...  •  Hubble overview (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM106WO4HD_index_0_m.html) Related articles  •  Why are things in space the shape that they are? (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMKOUXO4HD_sensations_0.html)