--- title: Chinese Lunar New Year: Hubble Shot Shows Monkey Head Nebula description: Celebrating Chinese New Year with outer space canonical: https://time.com/4212048/lunar-new-year-2016-monkey-hubble/ author: Julia Zorthian article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-08T16:25:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:00:26.936Z article:section: Science og:title: Celebrate the Chinese New Year With This Shot of the Monkey Head Nebula og:description: The Lunar New Year festivities go to outer space og:url: https://time.com/4212048/lunar-new-year-2016-monkey-hubble/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt99dbf6d9881e2bb1/69887c9b3c16393b1745bec0/hubble-24th-birthday-monkey-head-nebula.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1858 og:image:height: 1045 og:image:alt: Hubble-24th-birthday-Monkey-Head-Nebula og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Celebrate the Chinese New Year With This Shot of the Monkey Head Nebula twitter:description: The Lunar New Year festivities go to outer space twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt99dbf6d9881e2bb1/69887c9b3c16393b1745bec0/hubble-24th-birthday-monkey-head-nebula.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Celebrate the Chinese New Year With This Shot of the Monkey Head Nebula > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Julia Zorthian](https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Feb 8, 2016 4:25 PM UTC  A view of the Monkey Head Nebula, released on March 17, 2014\. Otherwise known as NGC 2174, the nebula is a cloud of gas and dust that lies about 6400 light-years away in the constellation of Orion. Nebulas like this one are popular targets for Hubble, their colourful plumes of gas and fiery bright stars create ethereally beautiful pictures. A view of the Monkey Head Nebula, released on March 17, 2014\. Otherwise known as NGC 2174, the nebula is a cloud of gas and dust that lies about 6400 light-years away in the constellation of Orion. Nebulas like this one are popular targets for Hubble, their colourful plumes of gas and fiery bright stars create ethereally beautiful pictures. NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team  by [Julia Zorthian](https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Feb 8, 2016 4:25 PM UTC The [Chinese New Year](http://time.com/4211680/chinese-new-year-lunar-monkey/) was already a worldwide celebration, [and now the festivities are as far-reaching as outer space.](https://twitter.com/esa/status/696683407573700608) Monday marks the first day of celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year, which ushers in the Year of the Monkey. In honor of the new year, here is a photo of the Monkey Head Nebula, as spied from the Hubble Telescope. The image shows a scattering of new stars amidst swirling dust and cosmic gas that make the nebula a birthplace for new stars. The European Space Agency [calls it](http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/03/Hubble%5Fs%5F24th%5Fbirthday%5Fsnap%5Fof%5FMonkey%5FHead%5FNebula) a “violent stellar nursery”—making the Monkey Head Nebula all the more representative of the fresh start a new year brings.  ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4212048/lunar-new-year-2016-monkey-hubble/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4212048/lunar-new-year-2016-monkey-hubble/"},"headline":"Celebrate the Chinese New Year With This Shot of the Monkey Head Nebula","datePublished":"2016-02-08T16:25:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:00:26.936Z","description":"Honoring the Year of the Monkey with outer space","url":"https://time.com/4212048/lunar-new-year-2016-monkey-hubble/","keywords":["Space","chinese new year","monkey"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt99dbf6d9881e2bb1/69887c9b3c16393b1745bec0/hubble-24th-birthday-monkey-head-nebula.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt99dbf6d9881e2bb1/69887c9b3c16393b1745bec0/hubble-24th-birthday-monkey-head-nebula.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Hubble-24th-birthday-Monkey-Head-Nebula","caption":"A view of the Monkey Head Nebula, released on March 17, 2014. 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