Posted on 12/30/2024 1:52:33 PM PST by MtnClimber
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.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
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Which FReeper was that one named for?
Dumbbell is the correct term for these staffers at NASA.
Notice that the RED is pushing the blue out of the picture.
This image is from an amateur astronomer, not NASA.
This is a fantastic image but it's been manipulated. The stars in front of and inside the nebula have been removed to show more of the nebulosity. Personally I prefer more realistic images.
What created this planetary nebula was a star that blew off it's outer shell in a cataclysmic event/explosion. The central star which caused or created this nebula is not seen in this image and was removed along with other stars during the processing of the image.
I should add, the central star which exploded, left behind a white dwarf star. That’s all that was left of the star. In images that are not overly manipulated, the small white dwarf star can be seen almost at dead center of the nebula core.
Wow.
I am terribly disappoineted. With a name like that I was expecting a starlight image of Joe the DUMBELL! ;-)
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