emission nebula

noun

A nebula composed of ionized gases which produce visible light (as distinct from a reflection nebula, which reflects the light produced by neighboring stars).

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Meanings

nounemission nebula (plural emission nebulae or emission nebulas)

plural emission nebulae · plural emission nebulas

  1. astronomyA nebula composed of ionized gases which produce visible light (as distinct from a reflection nebula, which reflects the light produced by neighboring stars).

    The Orion nebula is an emission nebula—it glows with its own light.

    2000 October 12, Prof. Daniel Styer, “Nebulae”, in Oberlin College Physics Department, retrieved 07 Apr 2014
    1 more example

    Kitt Peak National Observatory, in Arizona, 56 miles southwest of Tucson, offers a rare opportunity to spend an entire night looking through powerful telescopes at galaxies, planetary emission nebulae and star clusters.

    2005 June 5, Suzanne MacNeille, “On a Dig or Through a Telescope, You Just Might Learn Something”, in New York Times, retrieved 07 Apr 2014

Translations

German Emissionsnebel
  • Emissionsnebeltype of nebula
Hindi उत्सर्जन निहारिका
  • उत्सर्जन निहारिका (utsarjan nihārikā)type of nebula
Polish mgławica emisyjna
  • mgławica emisyjnatype of nebula
Cite this entry
APA

emission nebula. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emission%20nebula

MLA

“emission nebula.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emission%20nebula. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “emission nebula,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emission%20nebula.

Source: emission nebula on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.