Did You know? Nebula (plural Nebulae)

This month we feature…. Nebula (plural Nebulae) Latin for “cloud”. The image above is of the great Orion Nebula - this is an object you can easily see through a telescope this month.

Nebulae are enormous. They may stretch over hundreds of light years across. The closest nebula to Earth is the Orion nebula at a distance of 1,300 light years.

Planetary Nebulae have nothing to do with planets. In 1764 William Herschel incorrectly called them this when he mistook the star at the centre of the nebula for a planet. He later realised his error but kept the name.

The coldest place in the visible universe is the Boomerang Nebula with a temperature of -272°C , just 1 degree above absolute zero.