M27 (Dumbbell Nebula) · Seestar S30 · 2026-07-09

Messier 27, the Dumbbell Nebula (NGC 6853), is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula, and holds the distinction of being the first planetary nebula ever discovered, found by Charles Messier in 1764. It lies at a distance of roughly 1,200-1,360 light-years and represents the glowing, ejected outer envelope of a dying, Sun-like star, now being lit up by the hot white dwarf remnant at its center. The nebula's two-lobed, hourglass shape gives it its common name. As one of the brightest and largest planetary nebulae in the sky, it is a rewarding target for both broadband and narrowband imaging: Hα and O III filters bring out the layered inner and outer shells and faint extended halo that surround the brighter central “dumbbell” structure.

[Source: Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbbell_Nebula]

Annotated Image

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Sky Location

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Image Details

PixInsight Processing

1. Image Integration (x2)
2. Drizzle Integration
3. Background Neutralization
4. Dynamic Background Extraction
5. Spectrophotometric Color Calibration
6. NoiseXTerminator (AI denoise)
7. Multiscale Adaptive Stretch
8. Multiscale Linear Transform