M27 is the Dumbbell Nebula, a planetary nebula in Vulpecula formed from gas expelled by a dying Sun-like star.
What It Is
M27, the Dumbbell Nebula or NGC 6853, is a planetary nebula in Vulpecula about 1,200 light-years away. It is the glowing shell of gas shed by a dying Sun-like star, with the exposed hot core lighting the expanding material.
History
Charles Messier discovered M27 in 1764, making it the first planetary nebula added to his catalog. The name Dumbbell Nebula comes from its bright two-lobed visual shape, though deeper images show a larger, more complex envelope around the central structure.
Science Notes
- M27 is a planetary nebula, so despite the name it has nothing to do with planets; early telescopes made these round nebulae look planet-like.
- NASA lists M27 in Vulpecula at about 1,200 light-years away with an apparent magnitude of 7.4.
- The nebula is made from gas expelled by a dying star, and its central white dwarf is one of the larger known white dwarfs.
- Its bright bar-like core gives the classic dumbbell shape, while fainter outer gas traces older material from the same stellar death process.
- Distance
- ~1,200 light-years
- Diameter
- ~2.5 light-years
- Apparent magnitude
- +7.5
- Apparent size
- ~8 x 5.7 arcminutes
- Constellation
- Vulpecula
- Type
- Planetary nebula
- Coordinates
- RA 19h 59m 36s, Dec +22 deg 43 min 16 sec
