Catchy title huh?
Well the topic itself is very attractive: Nebula. The one which is found in outer space and is extremely beautiful. No, not talking about the adopted, blue daughter of intergalactic warlord Thanos. The other nebula, which is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space.
Like all classy words, the word ‘nebula’ (or nebulae) has its roots in the Latin language; meaning ‘cloud’ or ‘mist’. The galactic nebulae are composed of interstellar matter (the gases present IN the stars) and grains of cosmic dust. Some nebulae are formed due to the outburst of an ageing star; causing gases like hydrogen and helium to disperse in space. On the other hand, some nebulae are the sites of star formation. So, for obvious reasons, they are termed as ‘stellar nurseries’. Nebulae exist in the space between the stars, commonly known as the ‘interstellar space’.
Helix nebula, as observed by the Spitzer telescope.
In the beginning the dust and gases in nebulae are spread over a large area. However, gradually the gravitational pull starts acting on these clumps of gases and dust and they begin to form even bigger clumps. At a certain point the clump becomes so big that it collapses under its own gravity to the centre. The collapse causes the material at the centre of the gas cloud to heat up, and this hot core is the beginning of a new star.
The closest nebula to the earth is the Helix nebula, which is situated at a mere distance of 650 light years. Crazy right? The Helix nebula is an example of a planetary nebula. Here is an interesting piece of information about our solar system, our sun and the planets were formed about 4.6 billion years ago, from a cloud of gas and dust called the solar nebula. Not only this, scientists also believe that in about 5 billion years from now our sun will become a planetary nebula.
Nebulae are yet another wonder in the wide spectrum of this cosmic world. The more we get to know them the more fascinating they seem!
For more information on nebulae check out NASA’s website!
~ Ishita Parkar
Great information about nebulae.