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Eagle Nebula
Also commonly referred to as the Star Queen Nebula, the Eagle Nebula is a massive interstellar nebula that acts as a sort of breeding ground for new stars. This nebula rose to mainstream stardom in 1995 when the Hubble telescope sent back high-resolution photos of a star formation region that has come to be known as the Pillars of Creation (pictured).
Skull Nebula
Sometimes also referred to as the Pacman Nebula, the Skull Nebula rests within the Cetus constellation and is about 1,600 light-years away from Earth.
Stingray Nebula
Eighteen thousand light-years away from Earth, near the Ara constellation, is the Stingray Nebula. The Stingray Nebula is one of the smallest planetary nebulae that's been observed, but it is still 130 times larger than our own solar system.
NGC-2022
A yet-to-be-named planetary nebula in the constellation of Orion, which lies near the celestial equator, NGC-2022 is an incredibly distant, almost circular nebula more than 8 kilolight-years away from Earth.
Helix Nebula
The picture that the Hubble telescope took of the Helix Nebula, sometimes called the Eye of God, has become one of the most famous pictures in astronomy. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest visible nebulae to earth, located in the Aquarius constellation.
Ring Nebula
The Ring Nebula, one of the many constellations discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier at the end of the 18th century, is a unique and uniformly shaped nebula in the Lyra constellation.
Cat's Eye Nebula
The Cat's Eye Nebula, located in the Draco constellation, is one of the universe's most closely-studied nebulae. First discovered by William Herschel in the 18th century, this nebula was also observed by William Huggins in the 19th century. He proved that planetary nebulae such as the Cat's Eye Nebulae are gas emissions, as opposed to bright collections of stars as was previously thought.
Clown Faced Nebula
Located in the Gemini constellation, the Clown Faced Nebula, or Lion Nebula, is known for its likeness to a lion's mane, with gaseous strands stretching more than a light-year in some cases.
Owl Nebula
About 2,030 light-years away from Earth, in the Ursa Major constellation, lies the Owl Nebula. First observed by a colleague of Charles Messier, Pierre Méchain, in 1781, the relatively young nebula is thought to be only 8,000 years old.
Lemon Slice Nebula
Just around the corner from the north star, in the constellation Camelopardalis, lies the Lemon Slice Nebula, a relatively young and small nebula. Although fairly simple in composition as far as nebulae go, its appearance is certainly becoming of its name.
Spaghetti Nebula
Named after the appearance of its long, winding strings of gas, the Spaghetti Nebula rests between the constellations of Taurus and Auriga. It is the last visible remnants of an ancient supernova.
Jellyfish Nebula
A supernova remnant in the constellation of Gemini, the Jellyfish Nebula is about 5,000 light-years away from Earth. The supernova explosion from which the nebula arose is thought to have occurred around 30,000 years ago.
Turquoise Orb Nebula
Although too distant to observe with the naked eye, the Turquoise Orb Nebula, also sometimes called the Blue Racquetball Nebula, is a favorite of amateur astronomers due to its remarkable brightness, making it easy but rewarding to find with a telescope.
Horsehead Nebula
One of the most famous and instantly recognizable nebulae in the sky, the Horsehead Nebula is located within Orion's Belt, just next to the Alnitak star system that forms the easternmost point in the belt.
Carina Nebula
The Carina Nebula, located in the southern skies, four times larger than the Orion Nebula, is one of the largest nebulae that has ever been observed. The Carina Nebula is so large, in fact, that other, smaller nebulae exist within it.
Veil Nebula
An old, sinister-looking nebula known as the Veil Nebula rests within the Cygnus constellation and is the result of a massive supernova explosion that occurred around 30,000 years ago.
