The entire nebula is 7 light years long, the Cone Nebula resides 2,500 light years away in the constellation monoceros. This monstrous object is actually an innocuous pillar of gas and dust.

The Cone Nebula is part of a star-forming region of space, NGC 2264, about 2500 light-years away. Its pillar-like appearance is a perfect example of the shapes that can develop in giant clouds of ...