M27, The Dumbbell Nebula

Click image for larger version.

M27 in Vulpecula is a large and bright planetary nebula that is visible with moderate aperture telescopes even in urban skies.  A planetary nebula marks the death throes of stars with less mass than necessary to go super nova.  As the star begins to change from a red giant to a white dwarf it coughs off shells of gas which are ionized and fluoresce like a neon sign.  The red color is hydrogen gas ionized in the hydrogen alpha frequency.  The cyan color is monatomic oxygen fused by the star during its main sequence stage ionized in the OIII frequency.

Planetary nebulae are relatively short lived phenomena lasting only a few tens of thousands of years before the gases are dispersed to be reused in new star formation.

Back to Messier Gallery

Date:  5/12/2007

Location:  CRO

Telescope:  LX200 10" SCT, f/10

Mount:  AP-1200

Camera:  Hutech modified Canon 350D, ISO 800

Exposure Count:  14 @ 5 minutes, 1 hour, 10 minutes total exposure.

Guiding:  CCD Soft with ST402ME, Orion 80ED