Nebulae

Ever wondered where stars are made? Well, now you are about to find out! Just where these hot balls of gas start their lives begins in what astronomers call a nebula (plural: nebulae) and they are basically the nurseries of the Universe. Do you remember when your parents first took you to nursery? Do you remember what it was like?

Well, whatever you remember from the nursery that you went to, stellar nurseries are quite different! For one, a nebula is a gigantic cloud of dust and gas; mainly of hydrogen and helium gases, and they can be light years across - that’s trillions of miles - imagine how many nurseries you can fit into one of these ginormous star factories! Secondly, they look quite fuzzy in appearance - pretty much like fluffy clouds or cotton wool in the sky. Imagine having to go nursery in a massive splattering of cotton wool?

Nebulae come in not just a variety of sizes, they also come in a range of shapes with some of them looking very much like anything from horses (the Horsehead Nebula) to crabs (the Crab Nebula). The massive question is though, how do they form or have they always been there? What do you think?

When it comes to making stars, astronomers believe that nebulae are made from the huge collapse of gas in what they refer to as the Interstellar Medium (the gas, dust and cosmic rays that can be found between planets and stars in galaxies). As the material falls in on itself under its own weight, large stars are made in the centre. When this happens, ultraviolet radiation shoots out like a laser beam and the nebula is lit up - just like a Christmas tree! Astronomers have a name for these types of nebulae - can you guess what that is? Here’s a clue - it’s a word for “throwing out light.” If you are not too sure, then have a peek, but if you think you can have a guess, then write down your answer - remember, you can have as many goes as you like!