Dark Nebulas

A nebula . . . It is the beginning of the complicated process in which the interstellar dust is compacted by gravity so tightly to when the atoms of the helium and hydrogen are fused together they form a thermonuclear fusion reaction. This fusion working against gravity makes a nebula- which is the birth of stars. If you were to look in the sky for nebulas, you would expect to see many colored areas. Nebulas give off light because of the fusions, but dark nebulas, on the other hand do not give off light. They are colorful because of stars around them that reflects the light. An example of this is the Lagoon Nebula (M8).

The Lagoon Nebula (seen above) is the home of many young stars. This nebula is so large that it can be seen with the naked eye. The Lagoon is filled with many stars that have a very high temperature-this is obvious because of its blue glow. The Lagoon Nebula is also called NGC 6523 and M8. Formed several million years ago in the nebula is the open cluster named NGC 6530.

Another nebula that looks majestic in the sky is the Majestic Swan Nebula, also called M17. This bright mass of stars is the home of hot red-glowing gas, dark lanes of dust, and bright young stars. This nebula is also quite large; the bright central region is about 15 light years across and is about 5000 light years towards the constillation of Sagittarius. this distinctive shape causes this region to have several othe names such as Omega Nebula, the Horseshoe Nebula, and the Lobster Nebula.


Mishka Brown a.k.a. Smilee I'm 16 and I enjoy singing, stepping, hanging out, and spending time with my special someone, Mr. D.	SueAnn Turnbull a.k.a. CHEEKS	J'nelle Leslie a.k.a. Thumper I am a proud Ely Tiger. I love cheerleading and talking on the phone with close friends.