Nebulas, a Guest Post

This is another guest post by my daughter, Lily, now ten years old. Her passion for space is inspiring! :)

Picture credit: 
http://ircamera.as.arizona.edu/NatSci102/NatSci102/lectures/spectroscopy.htm 

Nebulas, 

By Lily Satterlee

Do you wonder where stars come from? The answer is nebulas. They’re a large cloud of dust and gas. Behind the clouds are new born stars. It is mostly hydrogen and helium. 

How these stars are are made is movement in the nebula causes clumps to form of elements and debris. These clumps increase the gravity around them as their mass grows. 

Evolution of a star; from nebula birth to solar system.
Picture credit:
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/N/nebhypoth.html

The gravity attracts more elements and debris and the clumps increase in mass and gravity more. The increase in mass and gravity also cause an increase in density and energy to make… a star.

The most  famous nebulas are the Orion nebula and the eagle nebula which has the pillars of creation. 

Orion Nebula picture by the Hubble Telescope

The Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, Hubble Photo

Nebulas are also where stars die. When a star dies the nebula reacts.

As you can see our galaxy would not be what it is with out the nebula.

Butterfly Nebula, Hubble Photo.