Nebula knowledge: Do you know these stunning space structures?

A nebula. The top-left is dense with layers of fluffy pink and greenish clouds. Long strands of green clouds stretch out from here; a faint layer of translucent blue dust combines with them to create a three-dimensional scene. A sparse network of dark dust clouds in the foreground adds reddish-black patches atop the nebula. Blue-white and orange stars, from our galaxy and beyond, are spread amongst the clouds.

The Tarantula Nebula is bursting with new stars. (Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Murray)

Nebulae are some of the most breathtaking sights in the universe — vast clouds of gas and dust where stars are born, or where they meet their spectacular ends. From the delicate wisps of the Veil Nebula to the fiery glow of the Orion Nebula, each one tells a story written across light‑years.

Astronomers study nebulae not just for their beauty, but for the secrets they hold about stellar evolution and the chemical makeup of galaxies. For the rest of us, they're a reminder that the cosmos is both mysterious and magnificent, with colors and shapes that look more like art than science.

Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or just curious about the night sky, this is your chance to prove you’re ready for a cosmic pop quiz.

See how well you score below!

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Space.com. Formerly, she was the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a freelance science journalist. Her beats include quantum technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.

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