M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula
The first planetary nebula ever discovered - a bright gas cloud housing an extremely hot (85,000 K) bluish subdwarf star.

  • RA: 20:00
  • Dec: 22:43
  • Size: 8' x 5.7'
  • Magnitude: 7.4
  • Distance: 1250 ly
  • Constellation: Vulpecula
  • Millennium Star Atlas: Vol. III, p. 1194-5
  • Scope: 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien at f/9
  • Autoguider: Unguided
  • Sky conditions: Superb transparency, tolerable seeing.
  • Film: FLI Dream Machine CCD
  • Exposure: 13x20 seconds L, 5x60 seconds R,G,B
  • Date: 6-16-01

This replaces a far inferior film version from 1998. I had considered going after the Trifid, Eagle or Swan nebulae but the seeing this particular evening said it was a no go situation. That, and a thunderstorm fired up towards the southwest that would have swamped anything shot in that direction as well. Thankfully it didn't do me dirty on this shot since M27 was very nearly straight overhead.


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