Some of the most amazing star making regions in space are highlighted in this collection of nebula pictures. Check out some stunning pictures nebulae in this gallery.
The Eagle Nebula is an emission nebula famous for its gaseous star making regions, like the the Pillars of Creation shown here. Next, see the Orion Nebula.
The Orion nebula is a tapestry of star formation, from the dense pillars of gas to the hot, young, massive stars that have emerged from their gas-and-dust cocoons. The next nebula looks like the head of an animal.
Probably the most recognizable nebula to most people, The Horsehead Nebula is a dark, easily visible nebula in the constellation Orion. See another nebula named after an animal in the next picture.
Another view of the large Eagle Nebula, this striking image captures its dusty star birth clouds. The next nebula was discovered by a female astronomer.
This open cluster was discovered by Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet. This nebula lies in the constellation Cepheus and is 7000 light years distant. Next, see the beautiful bluish Lagoon Nebula.
The Lagoon Nebula is a large emission nebula in the Sagittarius constellation. The region pictured here is called the Hourglass. The next nebula was featured in an episode of Battlestar Galactica.
The Helix Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquarius and is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth. Next, see the Crab Nebula, which shares its name with the Cancer the Crab constellation.
The Crab Nebula is a remnant of a supernova that exploded in 1054. At its center is the Crab Pulsar, the first identified neutron star. On the next page, find out how the Iris Nebula got its name.
The Iris Nebula was named by astrophotographer Daphne Hallas after she saw a film that showed the nebula's center, which she thought resembled an unfolding iris. The gaseous pillars in the next photo show how much variation there is between nebulae.
The Eagle Nebula's gaseous pillars are certainly awe-inspiring. In contrast to these pillars, check out the circular nebula in the next photo.
Located in the constellation Lyra, the M57 Ring Nebula is of the sky's summertime treats. The ring is surrounded by faintly glowing HII regions. The next photo shows nebula that live in the constellation Sagittarius.
Seen here are the two nebulae, The Lagoon (bottom center) and Trifid (right). At the top is the NGC 6559 complex. See the Fox Fur nebula in the next image.
In the Fox Fur Nebula, light from surrounding stars illuminates the strangely-shaped gas clouds. Next, see what the Tarantula Nebula looks like.
Would you believe the Tarantula nebula was originally classified as a single star? Its true nature was finally revealed in 1715 by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. See a nebula in a new light in the next photo.
This infrared image of baby stars in the Perseus Nebula was taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The stars appear as reddish-pink dots to the right, and the pinkish color indicates that they're still shrouded in cosmic dust.
This is the Herbig-Haro object, a shockwave-induced nebula created by the outflow from young star-like objects. It is a curved jet at the end of an elephant trunk-like pillar of gas in the Pelican Nebula.
Astronomers view distant objects using many types of light. Pictured here is a mosaic of the Cygnus area in H-a light, a wave frequency often used to view the sun.
From left to right, Nebulae IC 405, IC 410, IC 417, and star cluster M38, all in the constellation Auriga. IC 405 is also known as the Flaming Star Nebula.
