Cosmic Scale
Biggest nebulae and star clusters compared
Nebulae are clouds of gas and dust where stars are born or have died. They are measured in light-years: the distance light travels in a year, about 9.5 trillion km.
See nebulae & clusters in 3D, at true scale
| # | Name | Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helix Nebula Planetary nebula | 5.74 light-years |
| 2 | Crab Nebula Supernova remnant | 11.0 light-years |
| 3 | Orion Nebula Star-forming nebula | 24.0 light-years |
| 4 | Eagle Nebula Star-forming nebula | 70.0 light-years |
| 5 | Pleiades Open star cluster | 86.0 light-years |
| 6 | Omega Centauri Globular star cluster | 150 light-years |
| 7 | Carina Nebula Star-forming nebula | 460 light-years |
| 8 | Tarantula Nebula Star-forming nebula | 1,000 light-years |
Nebulae & clusters
Tarantula Nebula
The Tarantula Nebula, in the Large Magellanic Cloud, is the largest and most active stellar nursery near us.
Carina Nebula
The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest star-forming clouds in the Milky Way, four times as large as the Orion Nebula.
Omega Centauri
Omega Centauri is the largest globular cluster orbiting the Milky Way: around ten million ancient stars in a ball 150 light-years across.
Pleiades
The Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, is a cluster of young, hot blue stars — among the nearest to Earth and one of the most obvious to the naked eye.
Eagle Nebula
The Eagle Nebula is a cloud of gas and dust where new stars are forming, lit by a young cluster at its centre.
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula is the nearest large stellar nursery, a glowing cavern of gas being carved out by the young stars inside it.
Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is the wreckage of a star that exploded in AD 1054, bright enough to be seen in daylight for three weeks and recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers.
Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula is the glowing shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star.