Posts covering reflection nebulae, objects that shine by scattering and reflecting starlight from nearby stars rather than through ionization emission. Reflection nebulae typically appear blue due to preferential scattering of shorter wavelengths.
The iris nebula (NGC 7023) is a reflection nebula, not an emission nebula. The distinction isn’t cosmetic. An emission nebula like the Eagle or the Clamshell glows because ultraviolet radiation from nearby…
What You Will Learn In this post I share my February 2026 DWARF 3 image of M78 nebula (aka the friendly ghost nebula), a reflection nebula in Orion. I cover what makes…
