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An emission nebula is a cloud of ionized gas (i.e. the plasma) emitting light of various colors. A usual source for ionization are high-energy photons emitted from the nearby hot star. Among a many different types of emission nebula come H II regions, in which star formation is ingesting place & immature, massive stars come a source of the ionizing photons; & planetary nebulae, in which a anxious star has thrown slay its outer shells, sustaining the studied hot core so ionizing the babies.

General information

Unremarkably, the immature star may ionize a share of the equivalent cloud from either which it was innate. Single large, hot stars potty release the total of energy compulsory to ionize the important a share of a cloud. Typically, an entire cluster of young stars is doing a operate.

A nebula's color depends in its chemical composition & total of ionization. Due to the high prevalence of Hydrogen in interstellar gas, & its proportional moo energy requirement for ionization, several emission nebulae come red. In case supplementary energy is available, more elements may be ionized & green & blue nebulae come imaginable. By examining a spectra of nebulae, astronomers deduce their chemical content. Virtually all emission nebulae come just about 90% atomic number 1, sustaining a remainder helium, oxygen, nitrogen, and more elements.

A few of a virtually all beautiful emission nebulae seeable from either the northern hemisphere are the Lagoon Nebula and the Orion Nebula.

Emission nebulae typically develop dark spots inside the babies which symptom from either clouds of dust which block a weak. A combination of emission nebula & dust cloud wreak occasionally interesting shopping objects, & several one nebulae bear a title of objects that it resemble, like a North America Nebula or the Cone Nebula.

A few nebulae come mass produced higher of two reflection and emission components such as a Trifid Nebula.

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Emission Nebulae
Part of a site on plasma physics.






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