Emission and reflection nebulae differ primarily in their interactions with light.
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Emission Nebulae are clouds of gas that emit their own light, typically due to the ionization of hydrogen by nearby young, hot stars. They appear to glow brightly in certain wavelengths, particularly in the red due to the hydrogen Balmer-alpha emission.
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Reflection Nebulae, on the other hand, do not emit their own light. Instead, they reflect light from nearby stars, which often makes them appear blue since blue light is scattered more effectively than red light.
So, the key difference lies in how they interact with light: emission nebulae produce their own light through ionization, while reflection nebulae reflect light from stars.
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