how do emission and reflection nebulae differ?

Question

the presence of young stars
hard line edges
interactions with light
contain remnants of stars

Answer 1

Emission and reflection nebulae differ in the way they interact with light and the presence of young stars.

Emission Nebula:
1. Interaction with Light: Emission nebulae are composed of ionized gases (mostly hydrogen) that emit light through a process known as emission. The gas is energized by nearby hot stars, causing the atoms to release energy in the form of light.
2. Presence of Young Stars: Emission nebulae are often associated with regions of active star formation. The energetic young stars emit strong ultraviolet radiation, which ionizes the surrounding gas and causes it to glow.

Reflection Nebula:
1. Interaction with Light: Reflection nebulae do not emit light themselves but instead scatter and reflect the light from nearby stars. These nebulae consist of dust particles that scatter shorter wavelengths of light more strongly, resulting in a blue color.
2. Presence of Young Stars: Reflection nebulae are also associated with regions of star formation, as the young stars within or near the nebulae provide the light that gets reflected off the dust particles.

Both emission and reflection nebulae often have indistinct or fuzzy edges, as their structure is influenced by the surrounding environment. They may overlap or blend together with other types of nebulae in certain cases.

Neither emission nor reflection nebulae typically contain remnants of stars. Instead, these types of nebulae are primarily composed of gas and dust, with the gas being ionized in emission nebulae and the dust scattering and reflecting light in reflection nebulae. Remnants of stars, such as supernova remnants or planetary nebulae, belong to different categories of nebulae.