Hubble Space Telescope's Photo of the Prawn Nebula
(Photo : NASA, ESA, and J. Tan (Chalmers University of Technology); Processing; Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America))

If you have been following the different Twitter accounts that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) handles, then you might have noticed that some of them have been doing #NebulaNovember tweets.

In a nutshell, #NebulaNovember is all about highlighting the different nebulae that can be found in the universe. The tweets feature photos of the nebulae that the Hubble Space Telescope has taken.

NASA's #NebulaNovember: What is a Nebula?

NASA has defined the nebula, or nebulae in the plural, as a "giant cloud of dust and gas in space." Helium and hydrogen make up most of the gases that form a nebula.

According to NASA, nebulae exist in what is known as interstellar space or the space between stars. The dust and gas that form some nebulae come from the explosion of a dying star.

Other nebulae serve as the setting where new stars begin to form. Gravity pulls together all the gas and dust, and the pull gets stronger as the clump of gas and dust gets bigger.

The moment the clump gets too big, it will collapse and heat up its center. This, in turn, will lead to the formation of a new star.

Related Article: IN PHOTOS: The Hubble Space Telescope's Most Colorful Photos: Nebulae, Supernovas, and MORE

Nebulae Photos Featured in #NebulaNovember

Throughout the month of November, those following NASA's different account on Twitter might have noticed multiple tweets with the hashtag #NebulaNovember. These tweets feature awe-inspiring photos of different nebulae captured by the Hubble Space Telescope:

The following are some of examples of the nebulae featured by NASA for #NebulaNovember:

Flame Nebula

The Flame Nebula, or NGC 2024, is located around 1,400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion. It is part of what is known as the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. Little Gem Nebula

The Little Gem Nebula is also known as the NGC 6818. This nebula is located in the constellation Sagittarius some 6,000 light-years away from our planet.

Orion Nebula

This photo of the Orion Nebula, which is located in the constellation of the same name, was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). According to NASA's Hubblesite, there are more than 3,000 stars in this image. Per the Hubblesite, "The Orion Nebula is a picture book of star formation, from the massive, young stars that are shaping the nebula to the pillars of dense gas that may be the homes of budding stars."

Prawn Nebula

#NebulaNovember also features a recently released photo of the Prawn Nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Prawn Nebula, or IC 4628, is 250 light-years in Size and located 6,000 light-years away. The nebula is located in the constellation Scorpius.

Spirograph Nebula

 

IC 418 is better known as the Spirograph Nebula. It is located 2,000 light-years away from our planet and can be found in the constellation Lepus. The photo featured in #NebulaNovember was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2.

A dying center at the center of the Spirograph Nebula ejected its outer layer to form the nebula captured by the space telescope. 

Read Also: IN PHOTOS: Hubble Space Telescope's Snaps Breathtaking Photos of Nebulae - What is a Nebula Anyway?

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Written by Isabella James

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