Introduction:

A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas that occupies the space between stars that can be hundreds
of light years in diameter. Nebulae may be large, but are not dense, so a nebula the size of
Earth would only have a total mass of a few kilograms.

We have several good examples of nebulae in our galaxy, the Milky Way, such as the Crab
Nebula, the Orion Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Cat’s Eye Nebula.

Are all nebulae the same? No, there are five main categories for nebulae, emission nebulae,
reflection nebulae, dark nebulae, planetary nebulae, and supernova remnants. The color of the nebulae depends on the elements that it is composed from.

• Emission nebulae are also known as diffuse nebulae because they appear fuzzy without shape or structure. They are made of high temperature, ionized gases that emit radiation that causes it to glow. They are usually red in color because of the presence of Hydrogen, but if there are other elements present, they can appear blue or green.
• Reflection nebulae do not emit radiation by themselves. It reflects the light from nearby stars and they are usually blue in color due to the way light scatters.
• Dark nebulae are a large cloud of dust that blocks the light from any objects behind it. They are composed similarly to reflection nebulae but look different because of the position of their light source.
• Planetary nebulae look like planets because they are round in shape but they are reallyjust a shell of gas produced by a dying star.
• And finally, supernova remnants are created by a supernova, which is when a star’s lifeends. The cloud created continues to glow.

Can you see nebulae from Earth? Yes, you can! There are several nebulae that are visible to the naked eye, such as the Orion Nebula and the Eta Carina Nebula. However, without the aid of a telescope, they will appear fuzzy.

Purpose:

The purpose of this demonstration is to create your own Nebula In a Jar using safe, inexpensive items that can be found in any dollar store. Two different kinds of nebula in a jar will be demonstrated.

Materials:

• 1 Mason jar with lid
• 3 different colors of acrylic tempera paint
• Cotton balls
• Fine Glitter
• Wood Sticks (popsicle sticks)
• Water
• Plastic Tablecloth, Newspaper, or Construction Paper

Instructions:

 Click here to download instructions for the “Nebula in a Jar” activity

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Menezes, F. (2020, July 20). Coalsack Nebula [Photograph]. Sky & Telescope.
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NASA, European Space Agency, & Space Telescope Science Institute. (2019, April 19). Lagoon
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2018/lagoon-nebula-visible-light-view

NASA & Space Telescope Science Institute. (2008, July 31). Cat’s Eye Nebula Redux
[Photograph]. NASA.https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/
image_feature_1141.html

NASA & Space Telescope Science Institute. (2017, October 30). Reflection Nebula NGC 1999
[Photograph]. The European Space Agency.https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/
Images/2017/10/Reflection_nebula_NGC_1999

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Todd, I., Dyson, L., & BBC Sky at Night Magazine. (2021, June 30). The Orion Nebula
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astrophotography/nebulae/the-orion-nebula-m42/