M 27 - Dumbbell Nebula

M27, the Dumbbell Nebula (NGC 6853), is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula. It is located at a distance of 1,250 to 1,360 light-years from Earth and is one of the brightest and best-known planetary nebulae in the sky. The nebula has a diameter of 2.5 to 3 light-years and formed about 10,000 years ago from the expelled outer envelope of a Sun-like star in the late stage of its evolution.

At the center of the nebula is now a hot white dwarf, the remnant of the original star. Due to its extremely high temperature, it radiates predominantly in the ultraviolet and X-ray range. This high-energy radiation ionizes the gases of the nebula, resulting in the characteristic emission structures.

The Dumbbell Nebula owes its name to its striking dumbbell-shaped structure, which is particularly evident in visual observations. In narrowband images, fainter outer regions as well as an extended shell and a diffuse halo can also be seen. These features are usually difficult to detect in classical LRGB images and reveal the complex three-dimensional structure of the expanding cloud of gas.

In the image, LRGB data and narrowband exposures were blended to better illustrate the full extent of the Dumbbell Nebula

Shooting Data