Hellespont Nebula

The Hellespont Nebula is a giant planetary nebula.

Characteristics
The Hellespont Nebula is a planetary nebula, covering between 0.8 to 2.5 light-years in space and as such gases from the star in the surrounding space appear as a spiral. The remnant central stellar core, known as a planetary nebula nucleus or PNN, has become a white dwarf star. The observed glow of the central star is so energetic that it causes the previously expelled gases to brightly fluoresce.

History
Hellespont Nebula was formed between 10 to 30-thousand years ago.

In the early days of the Xindi Conflict, the Xindi Fourth Fleet deployed itself into the Hellespont Nebula, intending to use the already fracture region as their first conquest by raiding major worlds, such as Denobula and Tellar, keeping the fractions from organizing long enough for a large Xindi troop detachment to be deployed through the Northland Relay. The 81st Frigate Squadron was meant to raid the inner colonies of United Earth, intended to disrupt the largest empire in the region by the fact it lacked a truly mobile military to move on the offensive. The Xindi Fifth Fleet was launched into Andorian space, projected to destroy the critical outpost worlds the Andorians used to field their powerful but fuel guzzling warships.

However after word of the Xindi defeat at the Battle of the Northland Relay, the Fourth Fleet instead was launched in an all out assault to conquer Denobula.