Emission nebula

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/emission-nebula

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?H II region (ionized hydrogen region)
2. What is the primary excitation source?High-energy ultraviolet photons from O and B type stars
3. How does an emission nebula glow?Hot young stars emit ultraviolet light that strips electrons from hydrogen atoms. When those electrons fall back, they release visible photons that make the nebula shine.
4. Why do emission nebulae look red?The main glow comes from hydrogen atoms emitting light at 656.3 nanometers, which appears deep red to our eyes.

H II Region: A cloud of interstellar atomic hydrogen that has been ionized by energetic ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot stars.
Spectral Lines: Specific wavelengths of light emitted or absorbed by atoms, used to identify elements and their conditions.
Stellar Winds: Streams of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of a star, influencing surrounding nebulae.