What gas constitutes approximately 90 percent of a typical nebula's observable material?
Answer
Hydrogen
Nebulae are overwhelmingly composed of light elements, primarily hydrogen gas, which accounts for about 90 percent of their mass. The remainder consists almost entirely of helium, with a smaller fraction attributed to cosmic dust particles. This composition is crucial because the presence of abundant hydrogen gas is what allows emission nebulae (H II Regions) to glow brightly once ionized by nearby ultraviolet radiation from hot, massive stars, leading to the characteristic spectral line emissions, often appearing red.
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