Nebulae

A nebula is a massive cloud of gas and dust in space, often acting as a nursery for new stars or the remnants of dead or dying stars. The word nebula comes from Latin, meaning “cloud.” These fascinating structures can be found throughout galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Nebulae are primarily composed of Hydrogen, Helium, and other ionized gases, along with dust particles. Some Nebulae are areas of star formation (like the Orion Nebula below) or leftovers from supernovae. Many are visually stunning and visually striking, glowing in colorful patterns when ionized gases emit light or appearing dark when they block light.

There are 4 main types of Nebulae:
Emission – Glowing clouds of ionized gas, usually red or pink due to hydrogen-alpha emissions. They are usually caused by ultraviolet light from nervy hot stars that excite the gas. Example? Orion Nebula (M42)

Reflection – Clouds of dust that reflect the light of a nearby stars. Usually blue in color because blue light scatters more easily. Example is the Pleiades Nebula. Oh wait? You thought the Pleiades was a cluster! It is, it is an open cluster that is surrounded by a Nebula. One of the coolest things about taking images of this beauty is if you can catch both with detail. It is surely beautiful.

Dark (absorption) – Dense clouds of gas and dust that block light from stars or other nebulae behind them. They appear as black patches against brighter backgrounds. A great example is the horsehead nebula.

Planetary – Shells of ionized gas expelled by dying stars (by the way, it has nothing to do with planets). Forms when a red giant star sheds its outer layers and usually are round or at least symmetrical. Example is the Ring nebula. BTW – the ring nebula was one of the first deep sky items I ever saw. It sparked my imagination and is still makes me skip a beat. It is a like a piece of candy in the sky.