- any fuzzy patch of light in the night sky was once called a nebula – no ways, many of these are known to be galaxies.
Clusters of galaxies
Each of these fuzzy blobs is a galaxy, together making up the Perseus Cluster,
one of the closest clusters of galaxies.
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Orion Nebula (Messier 42) in the Orion constellation.
Nebulae are gigantic clouds of gas and space dust.
The Orion Nebula is a glowing just visible to the naked eye.
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- glowing nebulae give off a dim, red light as they hydrogen gas in them is heated by radiation from nearby stars.
- reflection nebula not only have no light on their own, they also soak up all light – they can only be seen as patches of darkness, blocking out light from the stars behind them.
- the Horsehead Nebula in Orion is the best known dark nebula – as it name suggests, it is shaped like a horse head.
The Horsehead Nebula (B33)
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- planetary nebulae are thin ring of gas cloud that are thrown out by dying stars. Despite their name, they have nothing to do with planets.
- the Ring Nebula (Messier 57) in Lyra is the best known of the planetary nebulae.
Messier 57 in the constellation of Lyra.
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