Cosmic Christmas Tree cloud observed

(Lime Creek Observatory)

While windy weather and dry conditions are creating plenty of dust clouds this week, Bob Linderholm of Cambridge has been watching a dust cloud that's out of this world. "It's called the Christmas Tree nebula," he said. "Well, it's past Christmas but it seems to be straight south nowadays and about 1400 light years away. The composition of the materials is probably a variety of gas and particles," he said.