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Title: What produces the striking red, blue, and black colors of ionization nebulae? Post by: ppk on Apr 20, 2012 What produces the striking red, blue, and black colors of ionization nebulae?
Title: Re: What produces the striking red, blue, and black colors of ionization nebulae? Post by: lewis on Apr 27, 2012 The bright red color is produced by an emission line (the single line transition of hydrogen in which an electron falls from energy level 3 to energy level 2). Starlight reflected from dust grains produces the blue colors, because interstellar dust grains scatter blue light more effectively than red light. The black regions are dark, dense gas clouds that block our view of the stars beyond them.
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