This image covers an area 1.92 x 1.3 deg. in the constellation Canis Major. Two principal objects are visible here (see mouseover): the open cluster NGC 2362 and the reflection nebula VdB 96. NGC 2362 (also catalogued as Cl Collinder 136, C 0716-248, OCISM 127, Ocl 633, COCD 134, Mexican Jumping Star, Caldwell 64, tau Canis Major Cluster, VII 17, h 441, h 3077, GC 1513) is a very rich and highly concentrated open cluster. Located in the Orion Arm, its distance is about 1389 parsecs (4530 light-years). NGC 2362 is dominated by the blue supergiant τ Canis Majoris, also clearly visible to the naked eye, and has a diameter of just 3 parsecs; most of its components presents a protoplanetary disks, in particular those of small mass. The average age of the cluster components is about 5 million years; the T Tauri stars in it would have an estimated age about 1.8 million years, or, depending on the model, up to 5 million years. The reflection nebula VdB 96 is part of the LDN 1660 and is mainly lit by HD 57281, a blue star of B5V class, which gives the surrounding gas a markedly bluish color. In the darkest part of the nebula there are active star formation phenomena, as evidenced by the presence of giant molecular HH jet 72. This jet is made up of several components, the most obvious of which are called HH 72 A, B and C, and they are also visible in the band of visible light. An image centered on VdB 96 (and with slightly better seeing) can be seen here .