Nebulae
Contents
Overview
Nebula in Latin literally means cloud
A Nebula (plural Nebulae) is large cloud of interstellar gas and dust. Stars are formed from the dust and gas of a nebula which collapses in on itself due to gravity
A nebula can itself be formed from a dying star. One such type of nebula is a planetary nebula.
Types of nebula
The Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant
Credit: Stellarium
Emission Nebulae
The atoms in the gases of these nebulae are excited by radiation from nearby stars emitting their own light.
Reflection Nebulae
Light from nearby stars reflects off dust particles in the nebula and illuminating it.
Planetary Nebulae
A type of nebula formed from a dying star that has discarded its outer atmosphere.
Supernova Remnants
Dust and gas ejected from the violent explosion of a supernova. Heavy elements formed in the supernova will be dispersed throughout the cloud of what was formally a star
The Messier object M1 or Crab Nebula is an example of a supernova remnant
Dark Nebulae
Material within a dark nebulae absorbs light of the visible spectrum making it appear like a dark 'star-less' patch of sky.
The Horsehead nebula in the constellation of Orion is a dark nebula
