A nebula is a giant cloud of gas and dust in space typically after an explosion of a dying star, like a supernova. Nebula regions are also present when new stars are forming. Here are 5 stunning images of nebulas that were captured by space agencies.
Famously known as Pillars of Creation, this image captured by Hubble shows the cosmic dust gas at the Eagle Nebula. It is a part of an active star-forming region between the towering tendrils of the nebula. (Image credit: NASA, ESA)
The image captured in infrared light by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows a landscape similar to mountains and valleys dotted with sparkling stars near a young star formation in the Carina Nebula. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA)
The image shows a magnetic field streamlines of the Keyhole Nebula. This is a part of the Carina Nebula and was captured by NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). (Image credit: NASA, ESO)
This Helix Nebula image captured by NASA shows the “planetary nebula” phase which occurs when a star runs out of fuel and expands, puffing out its outer layers and shrinking the core. Our Sun will likely experience this in about 5 billion years. (Image credit: NASA)
This sharp and vibrant close-up of the dying star in the Butterfly Nebula was captured by Hubble in 2009. The dying star at the centre is surrounded by bright ionized gas and dust torus, forming a butterfly-like shape. (Image credit: NASA, ESA)