nebulas
Interstellar gas formations
Nebulas is the plural of nebula, a cloud of gas and dust in outer space.
Some nebulas are regions where stars form; others are remnants of dying stars.
The term extends to any cloudy or hazy appearance: The eye doctor noted nebulas in both corneas.
The Latin plural nebulae appears in scientific writing, but nebulas dominates in general use.
Dense cloud becomes sun
- protostarPre-fusion celestial body
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- gas cloudSuspended atmospheric vapor mass
- gravitational collapseInward fall from gravity
stellar nursery · hydrogen · fusion · young stars · Pillars of Creation · core collapse · ionization
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- supernovaExploding massive star
- starLuminous astronomical object
- constellationNamed pattern of celestial bodies
- telescopeInstrument magnifying faraway objects
observatory · Hubble · Andromeda · spectroscopy · deep-sky · Messier · astrophotography · celestial
Thin and insubstantial
- glowingGiving off steady light
- luminousEmitting or reflecting light
- colorfulFull of varied hues
- swirlingTurning in curves
ethereal · diffuse · gaseous · cloudy · filamentary · billowing · iridescent · shimmering
Covering a large area
- immenseExtremely large in scope
- cosmicPertaining to the universe
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
- light-yearsUnits of astronomical distance
infinite · boundless · enormous · sprawling · astronomical · colossal · unfathomable · endless
star formation
Dense cloud becomes sun
- protostarPre-fusion celestial body
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- gas cloudSuspended atmospheric vapor mass
gravitational collapse · stellar nursery · hydrogen · fusion · young stars · Pillars of Creation · core collapse · ionization
galaxy
Gravitationally bound stellar mass
- supernovaExploding massive star
- starLuminous astronomical object
- constellationNamed pattern of celestial bodies
telescope · observatory · Hubble · Andromeda · spectroscopy · deep-sky · Messier · astrophotography · celestial · astronomer
wispy
Thin and insubstantial
swirling · ethereal · diffuse · gaseous · cloudy · filamentary · billowing · iridescent · shimmering · translucent
expansive
Covering a large area
- immenseExtremely large in scope
- cosmicPertaining to the universe
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
light-years · infinite · boundless · enormous · sprawling · astronomical · colossal · unfathomable · endless · vast
- space scienceastronomy class, planetary science, cosmology, planets, stars
- sci-fiscience fiction, Star Wars, sci-fi, Blade Runner 2049, aliens
nebulasblack holes
Regions of inescapable gravity
stars · planets · neutron stars · white dwarfs · pulsars
nebulasblack holes
Regions of inescapable gravity
singularities · dark matter · voids · neutron stars · void
- Orion NebulaEmission cloud near Earth
- Horsehead NebulaDark emission region, equine-shaped
- Crab NebulaSupernova remnant, pincer-shaped
- planetary nebulaIonized gas from dying star
- solar nebulaGas cloud forming stars
- dark nebulaLight-obscuring interstellar dust cloud
nebulous, nebula, nebulae, nebulously, nebulize, nebulization