BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy What Color Is a Nebula?

Nebulae are distant clouds of gas and dust. We see pictures of them in glorious color, but is that what we would we see with our own eyes if we were closer? If not, what color is a nebula?

What Color Is a Nebula

Hubble Space Telescope images are released after careful processing. The color palette is designed to show details that would elude our eyes. But there is an aesthetic dimension to the palette too. So we're seeing something of scientific value that is also beautiful.

In this example, you can see the same image processed in two different ways. The Butterfly Nebula is shown as our eyes might see it and also using the Hubble Palette to bring out the detail. Both images use the same the same data.