Emission Nebula

Example: Orion Nebula (M42)

A glowing cloud of gas lit up by hot young stars inside it, often a nursery where new stars are forming.

Key facts

How it shines: Its gas glows, energised by hot young stars
Typical colours: Pink and red
Example shown: Orion Nebula (M42)
Example’s distance: About 1,500 light-years
Can you see it?: Yes, with the unaided eye from a dark site

About the Emission Nebula

How to recognise it

Emission nebulae glow with their own light, often in pinks and reds, because intense light from hot young stars energises the gas. Many are star-forming regions.

The example: the Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula, M42, is the closest large star-forming region to Earth, about 1,500 light-years away. You can see it with the unaided eye from a dark site, as a fuzzy patch just below Orion’s belt. Hubble’s image of it shows more than 3,000 stars.