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Astronomy Picture of the Day |
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Astronomy Picture of the Day |
APOD: 2024 December 30 – M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly.
The first hint of our
Sun's future
was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
one of the brightest
planetary nebulas on the sky and visible with binoculars
toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula).
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
featured here in
colors emitted by
sulfur (red),
hydrogen (green) and
oxygen (blue).
We now know that in about 6 billion years,
our Sun will
shed its outer gases into a
planetary nebula like M27,
while its remaining center will become an
X-ray hot
white dwarf star.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science, though.
Even today, many things
remain mysterious about
planetary nebulas, including how their
intricate
shapes are created.
APOD: 2023 May 30 – M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly.
The first hint of our
Sun's future
was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky and visible with binoculars
toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula).
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
featured here in
colors emitted by
sulfur (red),
hydrogen (green) and
oxygen (blue).
We now know that in about 6 billion years,
our Sun will
shed its outer gases into a
planetary nebula like M27,
while its remaining center will become an
X-ray hot
white dwarf star.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science, though.
Even today, many things
remain mysterious about
planetary nebulas, including how their
intricate
shapes are created.
APOD: 2021 July 12 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
What will become of our Sun?
The first hint of our
Sun's future
was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky -- and visible
toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
featured here in colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen.
We now know that in about 6 billion years,
our Sun will
shed its outer gases into a
planetary nebula like M27,
while its remaining center will become an
X-ray hot
white dwarf star.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science, though.
Even today, many things
remain mysterious about
planetary nebulas, including how their
intricate
shapes are created.
APOD: 2019 December 3 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
Is this what will become of our Sun?
Quite possibly.
The first hint of our
Sun's future
was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our
Sun will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
featured here in colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things
remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot white dwarf.
APOD: 2016 November 2 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our
Sun
was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our
Sun will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
shown above in colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things
remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot white dwarf.
APOD: 2015 February 27 - Long Lovejoy and Little Dumbbell
Explanation:
Buffeted by the solar wind, Comet Lovejoy's crooked
ion tail stretches
over 3 degrees across this telescopic field of view,
recorded on February 20.
The starry background includes awesome bluish star
Phi Persei
below, and pretty planetary nebula M76 just above Lovejoy's long tail.
Also known as the
Little Dumbbell Nebula,
after its brighter cousin M27 the Dumbbell Nebula, M76 is only
a Full Moon's width away from the comet's greenish coma.
Still shining in northern hemisphere skies, this Comet Lovejoy
(C/2014 Q2) is outbound from the inner solar system
some 10 light-minutes or 190 million kilometers from Earth.
But the Little Dumbbell actually lies over 3 thousand light-years away.
Now sweeping steadily north
toward the constellation Cassiopeia
Comet Lovejoy is fading more slowly than predicted and is
still a good target for small telescopes.
APOD: 2014 September 14 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our
Sun
was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our
Sun will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
shown above in colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot white dwarf.
APOD: 2011 December 27 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our
Sun was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our
Sun will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen toward the constellation of the Fox (Vulpecula) with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
shown above in colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot white dwarf.
APOD: 2008 December 17 - The Dumbbells
Explanation:
These two nebulae are cataloged as M27 (left) and M76,
popularly known as
The Dumbbell and the
Little Dumbbell.
Not intended to indicate
substandard mental prowess,
their popular names refer to their similar,
dumbbell or hourglass shapes.
Both are planetary nebulae, gaseous shrouds cast off by
dying sunlike
stars, and are similar in physical size, at a light-year or
so across.
In each panel, the images were made at the same scale, so the
apparent size difference is mostly because one is closer.
Distance estimates suggest 1,200 light-years for the Dumbbell
compared to 3,000 light-years or more for the Little Dumbell.
These deep, narrow-band, false-color
images show some remarkably
complex structures
in M27
and M76,
highlighting emission from hydrogen,
nitrogen, and oxygen atoms within the cosmic clouds.
APOD: 2005 June 3 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our
Sun was discovered inadvertently in
1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our Sun
will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen in the constellation Vulpecula with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
shown above, digitally sharpened, in three standard colors.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27
was well beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot
white dwarf.
APOD: 2003 January 13 - The Dumbbell Nebula in Hydrogen and Oxygen
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our
Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of "annoying" diffuse objects not to be confused with
"interesting" comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our Sun
will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen in the constellation
Vulpecula with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
shown above, digitally sharpened, in three isolated colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27 was well
beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot
white dwarf.
APOD: 2001 March 6 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our
Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764.
At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list
of "annoying" diffuse objects not to be confused with
"interesting" comets.
The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our Sun
will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky,
and can be seen in the constellation
Vulpecula with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
shown above in representative colors.
Understanding the physics and significance of
M27 was well
beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like
M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a
low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot
white dwarf.
APOD: February 18, 1998 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The first hint of what will become of our Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764.
At that time, Charles Messier was compiling a list of
"annoying" diffuse objects not to be confused with
"interesting" comets. The 27th object on
Messier's list,
now known as M27 or the
Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula,
the type of nebula our
Sun will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core. M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky, and
can be seen in the constellation
Vulpecula with binoculars.
It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27.
Understanding the physics and significance of M27 was well beyond 18th century science.
Even today, many things remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula
like M27, including the physical mechanism that
expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope,
leaving an
X-ray hot
white dwarf.
APOD: July 29, 1995 - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation:
The Dumbbell Nebula is a beautiful red and blue planetary nebula in the
constellation of Vulpecula. It is the 27th object on
Charles Messier's
list of diffuse sky objects,
and so is referred to as M27.
Its high surface brightness makes it
a good target for small telescopes.
The term planetary nebula, used
to describe this general class of objects, is misleading.
Although these objects may appear round and
planet-like in small telescopes,
astronomers have determined them to be
stars surrounded by cocoons of gas blown off
in the late stages of evolution.
