[denton-scratch]

> Isn't a nebula a cloud of dust?

I think "dust" is a term of art in astronomy. A cloud of rocks the size of cars could be dust. I suppose that if you can't resolve the particles, then it's dust.

If I look at this part of the Orion Nebula, it looks opaque; I can't see what's behind it. So I guess if I were in the middle of the nebula, then I wouldn't be able to see out of it. There are many stars in the nebula that are not visible (in visible light).

So I suppose that what you'd see would depend on where in the nebula you were sitting; if you were near a star, the dust would be illuminated, and the sky would be bright. If you were not near a star, presumably the sky would be dark, and you'd look up and see nothing, like the inhabitants of the planet Cricket.