A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium, and other ionized gases. They have a wide range of sizes, and some can even be dozens or hundreds of light-years across. Many nebulae are visible to the naked eye due to florescence caused by embedded hot stars, while others are so diffused that they can only be detected by specialised equipment. Although nebulae are denser than the surrounding space, most nebulae are still attenuated enough that their total mass is relatively small; a nebula the size of Earth would only amount to a few kilograms. Some nebulae are dense enough that they promote the accretion of matter and can eventually form new stars.
In general, there are three types of nebulae: emission/reflection/diffuse nebulae, which encompass multiple central stars; planetary, which encompass only a single star system; and dark regions, which encompass no stars.
Visible Nebulae[]
These nebulae are visible from the Core Systems and reachable with conventional ships.[1]
Name | Distance from Sol (ly) | Central Star? |
---|---|---|
Pleiades Nebula | 380 | - |
R Cra Nebula | 420 | Yes |
Taurus Dark Region | 460 | |
The Lupus Dark Regions | 460 | |
Pipe Bowl and Stem | 480 | |
Coalsack Nebula | 500 | |
Rho Ophiuchi | 500 | |
The Ophiuchus Dark Regions | 500 | |
Corona Australis Dark Region | 510 | |
LBN 623 | 600 | |
Chamaeleon Nebula | 600 | |
IC 4604 | 600 | |
Snake | 600 | |
B92 | 650 | |
Vulpecula Dark Region | 650 | |
Witch Head Nebula | 890 | |
California Nebula | 975 | |
Aquila Dark Region | 990 | |
Barnard's Loop | 1,400 | |
Blinking Nebula | 2,000 | Yes |
Little Dumbbell Nebula | 2,100 | Yes |
NGC 7822 | 2,790 | - |
Reachable Nebulae[]
Over 110 other nebulae are reachable with conventional ships.
Name | Distance from Sol (ly) | Central Star? |
---|---|---|
Struve's Lost Nebula | 500 | No |
Scorpius Dark Region | 500 | |
Musca Dark Region | 500 | |
Hind Nebula | 595 | Yes |
Scutum Dark Region | 650 | |
Helix Nebula | 700 | No |
Eskimo Nebula | 800 | Yes |
Pencil Nebula - NGC 2736 | 815 | No |
NGC 1514 | 860 | Yes |
Shapley 1 | 1,000 | Yes |
IC 1287 | 1,000 | Yes |
Parrot's Head | 1,000 | |
Dumbbell Nebula | 1,100 | Yes |
NGC 1333 | 1,100 | - |
Spirograph Nebula | 1,100 | Yes |
NGC 1999 | 1,140 | Yes |
NGC 1360 | 1,145 | Yes |
Orion Nebula | 1,300 | |
Running Man Nebula | 1,300 | |
Messier 78 | 1,300 | No |
NGC 3242 - Ghost of Jupiter | 1,400 | Yes |
Horsehead Dark Region | 1,400 | |
Cepheus Dark Region | 1,400 | |
Puppis Dark Region B | 1,400 | |
Flame Nebula | 1,410 | |
Veil Nebula West | 1,470 | |
Horsehead Nebula | 1,500 | |
Orion Dark Region | 1,500 | |
Iris Nebula | 1,500 | |
Puppis Dark Region | 1,500 | |
IC 405 - Flaming Star Nebula | 1,500 | No |
NSV 1056 Wolf-Rayet Star | 1,660 | Yes |
IC 289 | 1,700 | Yes |
Spiral Planetary Nebula | 1,780 | Yes |
Sadr Region | 1,800 | Yes |
North America Nebula | 1,900 | |
Pelican Nebula | 1,900 | |
B352 | 1,900 | |
Veil Nebula East | 1,970 | |
Eight burst Nebula | 2,100 | Yes |
Ring Nebula | 2,200 | No |
Cone Nebula | 2,200 | - |
M97 (Owl Nebula) | 2,200 | Yes |
Cave Nebula | 2,400 | - |
NGC 6884 | 2,500 | Yes |
Trifid of the North Nebula | 2,600 | No |
Elephant's Trunk Nebula | 2,650 | - |
Fetus Nebula | 2,900 | Yes |
Hubble's Variable Star | 3,000 | Yes |
Blue Flash | 3,000 | Yes |
IC 5117 | 3,000 | Yes |
Butterfly Nebula | 3,000 | Yes |
Red Spider Nebula | 3,000 | - |
Retina Nebula | 3,000 | Yes |
Cocoon Nebula | 3,200 | - |
NGC 2438 | 3,200 | Yes |
NGC 6302 (Bug Nebula, Butterfly Nebula) | 3,400 | Yes |
NGC 7027 | 3,400 | Yes |
Bow-Tie Nebula | 3,500 | Yes |
Thor's Helmet | 3,660 | Yes |
Seagull Nebula | 3,770 | - |
NGC 7354 | 4,200 | Yes |
NGC 6188 | 4,400 | - |
Lagoon Nebula | 4,500 | - |
NGC 3699 | 4,500 | Yes |
Little Ghost Nebula | 4,900 | Yes |
NGC 6337 | 4,900 | Yes |
Jellyfish Nebula | 4,990 | - |
Blue Planetary Nebula | 5,000 | Yes |
NGC 6804 | 5,000 | Yes |
Crescent Nebula | 5,000 | - |
NGC 6852 | 5,000 | Yes |
NGC 6781 | 5,100 | Yes |
Trifid Nebula | 5,200 | - |
Rosette Nebula | 5,300 | - |
Cat's Paw Nebula - NGC 6334 | 5,500 | - |
Omega Nebula | 5,500 | - |
NGC 6357 | 5,500 | - |
NGC 7048 | 5,600 | Yes |
NGC 2440 | 5,700 | Yes |
NGC 6803 | 5,700 | Yes |
NGC 6565 | 5,900 | Yes |
Little Gem Nebula | 6,000 | Yes |
Statue of Liberty Nebula | 6,000 | - |
NGC 6842 | 6,000 | Yes |
NGC 7026 | 6,000 | Yes |
NGC 6751 | 6,400 | Yes |
Monkey Head Nebula | 6,400 | - |
NGC 6820 | 6,500 | - |
NGC 2899 | 6,500 | Yes |
Crab Nebula | 7,000 | Yes |
NGC 1931 | 7,000 | - |
Eagle Nebula | 7,000 | - |
Bubble Nebula | 7,100 | - |
Heart and Soul Nebulae | 7,400 | - |
IC 4634 | 7,500 | Yes |
NGC 281 | 8,000 | - |
NGC 5307 | 8,100 | Yes |
NGC 2792 | 8,200 | Yes |
NGC 5315 | 8,400 | Yes |
Eta Carinae | 9,000 | - |
NGC 7538 | 9,000 | - |
NGC 5979 | 9,000 | Yes |
NGC 6886 | 9,000 | Yes |
NGC 3211 | 9,100 | Yes |
IC 5217 | 9,400 | Yes |
NGC 1491 | 10,000 | - |
NGC 6326 | 11,000 | Yes |
IC 4191 | 14,400 | Yes |
NGC 3199 - Banana Nebula | 15,000 | - |
NGC 2467 - Skull and Crossbones | 15,000 | - |
IC 2621 | 15,500 | Yes |
G2 dustcloud | 27,900 | - |
Unreachable Nebulae[]
There are seven nebulae which cannot be reached with conventional ships. Some may be reachable with a Fleet Carrier.
Name | Distance from Sol (ly) | Central Star? | Reachable w/ Fleet Carrier? |
---|---|---|---|
Struve's Lost Nebula | 300 | No | No |
Skull Nebula | 1,600 | No | |
Cat's Eye Nebula | 3,270 | No | |
Lemon Slice Nebula | 4,500 | Yes | Yes |
Saturn Nebula | 5,200 | Yes | |
NGC 6210 | 5,300 | Yes | |
Blue Snowball Nebula | 5,500 | Yes | |
White Eyed Pea Nebula | 6,500 | Yes |
Notes[]
- Elite Dangerous contains a mixture of both authentic nebulae observed in the real-world, and procedurally-generated nebulae used to fill-in areas of the galaxy that are difficult or impossible to observe from Earth. This article lists only authentic nebulae.