- published: 06 Nov 2015
- views: 21103
A nebula (from Latin: "cloud"; pl. nebulae or nebulæ, with ligature or nebulas) is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases. Originally, nebula was a general name for any extended astronomical object, including galaxies beyond the Milky Way (some examples of the older usage survive; for example, the Andromeda Galaxy was referred to as the Andromeda Nebula before galaxies were discovered by Edwin Hubble). Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Eagle Nebula. This nebula is depicted in one of NASA's most famous images, the "Pillars of Creation". In these regions the formations of gas, dust, and other materials "clump" together to form larger masses, which attract further matter, and eventually will become massive enough to form stars. The remaining materials are then believed to form planets, and other planetary system objects.
Around A.D. 150, Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy) recorded, in books VII-VIII of his Almagest, five stars that appeared nebulous. He also noted a region of nebulosity between the constellations Ursa Major and Leo that was not associated with any star . The first true nebula, as distinct from a star cluster, was mentioned by the Arabic/Muslim astronomer, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, in his Book of Fixed Stars (964). He noted "a little cloud" where the Andromeda Galaxy is located. He also cataloged the Omicron Velorum star cluster as a "nebulous star" and other nebulous objects, such as Brocchi's Cluster. The supernova that created the Crab Nebula, the SN 1054, was observed by Arabic and Chinese astronomers in 1054.
The mist crawling through the clouds
Paranoia breach in our minds
Veiled sanity like a shroud
And forced us to resign
And they came from the skies
Shape shifting in our fears
Enslaved the strongest specimens
And the soil was moistened with our tears
Devoured our souls
Its inhabitants crushed our hope
Nebula took the crowd control
The mist crawling through the clouds
Fear became our daily bread
Closing in, suffocating the pride
Until everything but animal was dead
And they came from the skies
Shape shifting in our fears
Enslaved the strongest specimens
And the soil was moistened with our tears
Devoured our souls
Its inhabitants crushed our hope
Nebula took the crowd control
Consumed by their twisted therapy
(And fist upon our soul)
We lost our guts, we lost our path
(And fist upon our soul)
Nailed, shut and chained inside misery
(And fist upon our soul)
We realized we'll never come back
(And fist upon our soul)
Devoured our souls
Its inhabitants crushed our hope
Nebula took the crowd control