What is NEBULAE?

Nebula was the word once used for any fuzzy pitch of light in the night sky. Today NEBULAE are giant clouds of dust and gas where new stars are born and old ones die.

There are many types of nebula:

• Glowing nebula are named because they give of hydrogen gas as they are heated by nearby stars and produce red light.

• Reflection nebula have no light of their own, starlight shines off the dust in them.

• Planetary nebulae are thin rings of gas, which are thrown out by dying stars. Despite their name they have nothing to do with the planets .

  The most known nebulae are:

• Great nebula of Orion.

• Crab nebula

• Ring Nebula in lyre.