Images from Space

Space | Unit 1 Project

Today we will be learning about Nebulae. At the end of this lesson, we will create a report/flashcard set about nebulae.

What are nebulae?

Nebulae are collections of interstellar dust and gas which form stars. Our sun started as part of a nebula.

Multiple Select

What are nebulae made of? (Choose multiple)

• Interstellar dust

• Rocket exhaust

• Black Holes

• Gases

Different kinds of nebulae

Nebulae come in different sizes and colours. Some are enormous and are almost as large as dwarf galaxies (Small-sized galaxies) and some are tiny and only stretch for about a few thousand kilometres long.

Nebulae gallery

Crab nebula

Eagle Nebula

Orion Nebula

Tarantula Nebula

That's all for the gallery!

We will now go deeper into nebulae and explore!

How do nebulae form?

Nebulae form when a star ends its life either in a planetary nebula, a supernova, or even a hypernova. These release gases which are required to make a nebula into space. Once enough of them are in place, they form a beautiful nebula.

The nebula paradox

This is a paradox that is sort of like the chicken or egg first question. But this time they ask you: Were stars born first or were nebula born fist? The answer is nebula. Gas is more likely to come out of nothing than an enormous object suddenly appearing right after the big bang. But we still don't have a logical explanation for that, so it remains a paradox.