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The Dumbbell Nebula (which is also known as nebula M 27 and NGC 6853) is a glowing cloud of gas and dust located some 1240 light years away toward the constellation Vulpecula. The Dumbbell Nebula was the first planetary nebula ever to be discovered, by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1764. The nebula was formed by shells of gas are cast off by an aging giant stars late in life, some 4000 years ago. This close-up image shows dense knots of gas and dust, which travel through the nebula as it expands and which appear to be common features of many planetary nebulae.
Image and text copyright © Astrographics. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Space Telescope Science Institute. |
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