Seated inside the Cepheus constellation, you’ll find SH2-136. If you look at the image of this nebula, you’ll be amazed by the beauty. But you’ll also easily see why it gets the “Ghost Nebula” name. It appears exactly like a ghost, making it one of the freakiest things NASA discovered. It is over 2 lightyears across, with numerous stars inside it. The stars shine beautifully, allowing this nebula to get a brownish and partially goldish coloring.
[Image via AstroBin]It is also referred to as a “reflection nebula.” This is a type of nebula that reflects the light of nearby stars. The energy from those stars is not high enough to ionize the gas to create a normal emission nebula. Yet it is enough to still make dust in the nebula visible. The frequency spectrum is then affected by its stars, which is why SH2-136 appears as it does. This nebula’s stars are literally what gives it color. As they die off, the nebula will eventually darken completely.