Explore glowing green nebulae
In space, just as in neon lights, different atoms and chemicals glow different colors — including brilliant green. And sometimes, images are artificially color-coded to highlight certain elements or materials. We invite you to explore some of the best glowing green nebulae our galaxy has to offer in celebration of our favorite color on St. Patrick's Day.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/2MASS/B. Whitney (SSI/University of Wisconsin)
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the material surrounding these bright stars has been color-coded green in this infrared image. The star GL 490 appears at the middle right.
IC 1295 is a planetary nebula surrounding a dying star. Its true-color green hue comes from doubly ionized oxygen.
NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) imaged the Wreath Nebula, officially named Barnard 3, in infrared light. Particles of dust similar to earthly smog have been colored green.
IC 417, part of the Spider and the Fly Nebula, shows emission from "fluffy" warm dust clouds color-coded green in this infrared image that combines observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Two Micron All Sky Survey.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team
Cassiopeia A is a supernova remnant left from the death of a star, whose light reached Earth around 1667. This WISE image uses green to represent emission from dust around the remnant.
WISE's image of the cloud CG4 looks like an alligator or slug to many. The green emission in this photo is attributed to dust shining at 12 microns.
A portion of the Trifid Nebula imaged by WISE shows glowing green light that represents hydrogen gas around the bright young stars.
ESO/I. Appenzeller, W. Seifert, O. Stahl
The famous Dumbbell planetary nebula is shown in approximately true color; green emission comes not from artificial coloration, but from doubly ionized oxygen.
The Elephant's Trunk Nebula, also known as IC1396A, surrounds the star HR8281. Imaged by WISE, the green represents dust emission at 12 microns.
WISE captured this shot of the star cluster Berkeley 59, showing emission from warm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in green.
The Witch Head Nebula is associated with the Orion star-forming region. As starlight heats dust grains in the cloud, they glow in the infrared, and have been colored in green in this WISE image.
Also in the constellation Orion, the Flame Nebula glows in 12-micron light, which has been colored green and is emitted by warm dust. Two of the stars in Orion's Belt appear in this WISE image, as well as the Sword star sigma Orionis, notable for the bright red arc that surrounds it.
The Orion Nebula itself, imaged by WISE in the infrared, shows sprawling dust, color-coded green.
IC2177, also called the Seagull Nebula, imaged in several narrowband filters that highlight the true-color green glow of doubly ionized oxygen.
The nebula BFS 29 encompasses the star CE-Camelopardalis. This WISE image colors the nebula's warm dust emission in green.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team
WISE's snapshot of LBN 114.55+00.22, an emission nebula, shows dust heated by several young stars in green.
