Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
NASA ^ | 30 Dec, 2024 | Image Credit & Copyright: Christopher Stobie

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.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

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.

1 posted on 12/30/2024 1:52:33 PM PST by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 12/30/2024 1:52:54 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 12/30/2024 1:53:51 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Which FReeper was that one named for?


4 posted on 12/30/2024 1:56:55 PM PST by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Dumbbell is the correct term for these staffers at NASA.


5 posted on 12/30/2024 1:57:06 PM PST by George from New England (escaped CT back in 2006ttsee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: George from New England

Notice that the RED is pushing the blue out of the picture.


6 posted on 12/30/2024 2:04:40 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: George from New England
Dumbbell is the correct term for these staffers at NASA.

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.

7 posted on 12/30/2024 2:23:06 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

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.


8 posted on 12/30/2024 2:28:16 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Wow.


9 posted on 12/30/2024 4:20:27 PM PST by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

I am terribly disappoineted. With a name like that I was expecting a starlight image of Joe the DUMBELL! ;-)


10 posted on 12/31/2024 11:50:05 AM PST by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise (Learn three chords and you, too, can be a Rock Star!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson