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How does a nebula become a massive star?
How do stars form in a nebula? Nebulae are made of dust and gases—mostly hydrogen and helium. Eventually, the clump of dust and gas gets so big that it collapses from its own gravity. The collapse causes the material at the center of the cloud to heat up-and this hot core is the beginning of a star.
How big is a nebula compared to the sun?
How Big are Nebulae? Most nebula are huge and span light years–even millions of light years across. On average, nebulae occupy trillions and trillions of miles in space. For perspective, the Earth’s diameter is just under 8,000 miles and the Sun is about 865,000 miles in diameter.
How does a nebula become a planet?
All planetary nebulae form at the end of the life of a star of intermediate mass, about 1-8 solar masses. Once all of the red giant’s atmosphere has been dissipated, energetic ultraviolet radiation from the exposed hot luminous core, called a planetary nebula nucleus (P.N.N.), ionizes the ejected material.
Are nebulae bigger than galaxies?
Simply put, the main difference between galaxies and nebulae are an extreme difference in size, as well as their basic structure. A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas, usually tens to hundreds of light years across. A galaxy is much larger — usually thousands to hundreds of thousands of light years across.
Will the sun become a nebula?
Ultimately, most scientists believe that the Sun will become a planetary nebula. As is progresses though the red giant stage, the outer envelope of the Sun will be blown off into space. After it expels its outer layers, the core of the Sun will contract, and it will become a white dwarf.
Why are nebulae so colorful?
The process is similar to that of a neon light. This causes the nebula to glow. Emission nebulae tend to be red in color because of the abundance of hydrogen. Additional colors, such as blue and green, can be produced by the atoms of other elements, but hydrogen is almost always the most abundant.
What is a nebula in space?
A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. Some nebulae (more than one nebula) come from the gas and dust thrown out by the explosion of a dying star, such as a supernova. Other nebulae are regions where new stars are beginning to form.
Where does the gas and dust from a Nebula come from?
What Is a Nebula? A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. Some nebulae (more than one nebula) come from the gas and dust thrown out by the explosion of a dying star, such as a supernova. Other nebulae are regions where new stars are beginning to form. What Is a Nebula?
When does a star turn into a Nebula?
It indicates that the star may be more eligible for conversion into a planetary nebula shortly after it goes out forever. A planetary nebula occurs when a dying star flings out a large proportion of its matter into a cloud which surrounds the new white dwarf that is the core of the said star.
Which is brighter a nebula or a sun?
The sun’s size may mean that the nebula is relatively faint compared to others. For example, astronomer, George Abell, observed many planetary nebulae during his career in the 1960s, several of which were probably brighter than the nebula Sol is predicted to form.