Dumbbell Nebula
also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853
The Dumbbell Nebula - also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853 - is a typical planetary nebula and is located in the constellation Vulpecula (The Fox). The distance is rather uncertain, but is believed to be around 1200 light-years. It was first described by the French astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier who found it in 1764 and included it as no. 27 in his famous list of extended sky objects.
The Dumbbell Nebula consists of very rarified gas that has been ejected from the hot central star (well visible on this photo at the centre), now in one of the last evolutionary stages. The gas atoms in the nebula are excited (heated) by the intense ultraviolet radiation from this star and emit strongly at specific wavelengths.
Technical information: The photo (ESO PR Photo 38a/98) is reproduced from a three-colour composite based on two interference ([OIII] at 501 nm and 6 nm FWHM - 5 min exposure time; H-alpha at 656 nm and 6 nm FWHM - 5 min) and one broadband (Bessell B at 429 nm and 88 nm FWHM; 30 sec) filtre images. They were obtained with VLT ANTU and FORS-1 on September 28, 1998, during mediocre seeing conditions (0.8 arcsec). The sky field measures 6.8 x 6.8 arcmin2. North is up; East is left.
Supplementary information: http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-1998/phot-38-98.html.
Text and image from: ESO slide set #3 (slide 03-16)
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