8 stunning images of nebulae shared by NASA telescopes

Caldwell 99 is a dark nebula — a thick cloud of space dust so dense that it blocks all visible light from the stars and objects lying behind it.

The star V830 Orionis illuminates the surrounding cloud of leftover material from its birth, known as the NGC 1999 reflection nebula.

Emission nebulae are glowing, spread-out clouds of ionized gas that shine with their own light. In this image of NGC 2313, the bright star V565 at the center lights up a silvery curtain of gas and dust, while the right side is hidden behind a thick cloud of dust.

The Orion Nebula offers a stunning view of star formation, showcasing everything from massive young stars that shape the nebula to dense gas pillars that could be cradles for newborn stars. At its bright center lies a group of stars known as the Trapezium.

The Helix Nebula is a type of planetary nebula. While it appears like a bubble or an eye when viewed from Earth, it's actually a tunnel of glowing gases stretching trillions of miles. At its heart sits a white dwarf star.

This Hubble mosaic is the most detailed image ever captured of the full Crab Nebula, located about 6,500 light-years from Earth. The orange strands you see are the shredded remnants of the exploded star, made mostly of hydrogen.

These wispy columns of dust and gas lie at the center of M16, also known as the Eagle Nebula. Called the Pillars of Creation, these iconic Hubble images capture a vibrant star-forming region where newborn stars are hidden within the towering clouds.

Source: NASA

These thick, dark clumps of gas and dust—known as "Bok globules"—are seen blocking light at the heart of the nearby emission nebula and star-forming region NGC 281. Bok globules might eventually give birth to new stars, or simply fade away over time.