A nebula is a dust and gas cloud characterized by luminescent patches of brightness with dark contrast. Typically comprised of helium, hydrogen and various other ionized gases. Nebula photos provide captivating and sensational imagery showcasing some of the universe’s most beautiful works of art.
Here are 7 NASA nebula photos to marvel at:
Twin Jet Nebula
The Twin Jet nebula a.k.a. Minkowski 2-9 is a bipolar planetary nebula whose two sides resemble mirrored exhaust from jet engines.
- Constellation: Ophiuchus
- Distance from Earth: 2,120 light years
Crab Nebula
This is the remnants of a supernova explosion. The Crab Nebula spans approximately 10 light years. It was discovered in 1731 by John Bevish, an English astronomer.
- Constellation: Taurus
- Distance from Earth: 6,523 light years
Rosette Nebula
This magnificent deep-space object is nearly 65 light years in size. Its rose shape is where the nebula’s name originates.
- Constellation: Monoceros
- Distance from Earth: 5,219 light years
Trifid Nebula
This beautiful star forming region was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. Its name means “divided into three lobes” due to it consisting of a rare combination of an emission nebula, a reflection nebula and a dark nebula.
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Distance from Earth: 5,200 light years
Cat’s Eye Nebula
Another binary planetary nebula, the Cat’s Eye was discovered in 1786 by William Herschel. The image above is taken from Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).
- Constellation: Draco
- Distance from Earth: 3,262 light years
Carina Nebula
The Carina Nebula is large. Although four times bigger than the well-known Orion Nebula, the Carina is less famous because of its location in the southern sky.
- Constellation: Carina
- Distance from Earth: 7,500 light years
Lagoon Nebula
Occasionally under perfect circumstances, the Lagoon Nebula will make itself visible to the human eye. Discovered sometime around 1654, this is the oldest nebula on the list.
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Distance from Earth: 4,077 light years