Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our Sun [ http://www.nineplan…] was discovered inadvertently in 1764 [ http://en.wikipedia…]. At that time, Charles Messier [ http://www.seds.org…] was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on Messier's list [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], now known as M27 [ http://www.seds.org…] or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], the type of nebula our Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] will produce when nuclear fusion [ http://fusedweb.ppp…] stops in its core. M27 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is one of the brightest planetary nebulae [ http://www.seds.org…] on the sky, and can be seen in the constellation [ http://www.astro.wi…] Vulpecula [ http://www.astronom…] with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, shown above [ http://www.noao.edu…], digitally sharpened, in three standard colors. Understanding the physics and significance of M27 [ http://astro.ninepl…] was well beyond 18th century science. Even today, many things remain mysterious about bipolar planetary nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] like M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an X-ray [ http://www.treasure…] hot white dwarf [ http://imagine.gsfc…].
Credit and Copyright:
//www.noao.edu/outre ach/aop/observers/im ageuse.html" >Copyright: Joe & Gail Metcalf, Adam Block [ mailto: ablock at noao.edu ], NOAO [ http://www.noao.edu/], AURA [ http://www.aura-ast…], NSF [ http://www.nsf.gov/]
facet_when:
18th century
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Washington, D.C.
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Aura
facet_what:
COMETS
facet_what:
Vulpecula
facet_what:
HRI
facet_what:
nebula
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap050603

M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
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