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Types of Nebulae
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Emission Nebula
A cloud of ionized gas emitting light of various colors, often red. Formed when high-energy ultraviolet light from nearby stars ionizes the gas.
Reflection Nebula
A cloud of dust and gas that reflects the light of nearby stars, typically blue in color due to the scattering of shorter wavelengths of light.
Planetary Nebula
Formed from the expelled outer layers of a dying star that has blown off its outer layers after nuclear reactions have ceased, typically showing a ring-like structure.
Dark Nebula
A dense cloud of gas and dust that blocks the light from stars or nebulae behind it, making it visibly opaque and creating dark silhouettes against brighter backgrounds.
Supernova Remnant
The structure resulting from the explosion of a star in a supernova event, dispersing the outer layers of the star into space and often leaving behind a neutron star or black hole.
Molecular Cloud (or Giant Molecular Cloud)
A large, dense cloud of molecular gas where new stars are often formed, being the primary site for molecular compounds and the birthplace of star formation.
H II Region
A region of ionized hydrogen gas (), often associated with star formation and found around young, hot stars, emitting light in the form of emission lines.
Herbig-Haro (HH) Objects
Highly luminous patches of nebulosity associated with newborn stars, resulting from jets of gas ejected by the star colliding with nearby gas and dust at high speeds.
Wolf-Rayet Nebula
Created by a Wolf-Rayet star, which is a massive star undergoing a strong stellar wind phase before ending in a supernova explosion. The strong stellar winds compress the surrounding gas, forming the nebula.
Protoplanetary Nebula
A phase in the evolution of some stars, occurring between the late red giant phase and before the formation of a planetary nebula, showing complex shapes due to interacting stellar winds and radiation.
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