ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

H II region

Okay kiddo, imagine space is like a big room, and stars are like glowing light bulbs. Some of these bulbs are so bright that they make the space around them look colorful and pretty, almost like a rainbow. These are called H II regions.

You see, stars give off a lot of energy, especially right after they are born. This energy can heat up and ionize the gas that is floating around in space. The gas becomes so excited that it starts glowing, just like a light bulb.

And because gas is made up of different elements, the light it emits can have different colors. H II regions get their name because they are mainly made up of hydrogen gas, which emits a bright red color when it's ionized.

So, when you look up at the night sky and see a beautiful, colorful patch of space, you might be looking at an H II region formed by a nearby star. It's like a natural fireworks display, except it lasts for thousands of years!