Astronomy in pills: How nebulae form

The space between stars and star systems isn't a vacuum or empty. There's plenty of nitrogen, hydrogen, and other gases floating around. It just happens to be very dispersed, making it seem empty. This space is called the interstellar medium (ISM).

Nebulae are formed in the interstellar medium, which is the semi-empty space between star systems. There are five types of nebulae and each of them is created through different methods. These are:

• Supernova remnants;
• Emission nebulae;
• Reflection nebulae;
• Dark nebulae;
• Planetary nebulae.

Emission, reflection, and dark nebulae are only different from each other because of the type of light and radiation they emit, but they are created similarly, so they can be grouped together.

Supernova remnants form after the explosion of giant stars. Reflection, emission, and dark nebulae originate from the gravitational interaction between the gases in the space between stars. Planetary nebula are created after stars like our Sun reach their final stage.

Credit @oksana_korda 

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