ScienceDownEast | ScienceDownEast Astrophotography | Nebulae | M27 The Dumbbell Nebula | M27 Dumbbell Nebula Processed version 2
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The Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 27, NGC 6853) is a bright, nearby planetary nebula in the small constellation Vulpecula. It is the expanding, ionized shell of gas cast off by a Sun-like star near the end of its life; a hot white dwarf remnant at the center illuminates the nebula, with strong O III and Hα emission producing its characteristic “dumbbell” or apple-core shape. Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, M27 is among the most rewarding planetary nebulae for visual observers and imagers.
At a distance of roughly ~1,300–1,400 light-years (M27 overview), the main nebular structure spans about 8′ × 5.6′ on the sky, corresponding to a physical size of roughly 2.5–3 light-years. In the eyepiece it shows best at moderate magnification; an O III or UHC filter greatly enhances contrast, revealing the bright lobes and fainter outer halo. Look for M27 in Vulpecula, roughly midway between the stars γ and 14 Vul, just north of the Summer Triangle.
Total image time was 140 minutes.
| Moon Phase | Waxing Gibbous 15% | ||||||||
| Exposure | 7 x 20 min | ||||||||
| Gain | 100 | ||||||||
| Camera | ToupTek ATR2600C [6224 × 4168] | ||||||||
| Optics | 120mm Sky-Watcher Esprit on a Proxisky UMi20S Strain Wave mount | ||||||||
| Guiding | ToupTek GPM462M using PHD2 with a 400mm guide scope. Average 15-min sub GuideRMS ranged from 0.53 to 0.74 using 0.5s exposures. | ||||||||
| Controller | KStars on MeLe Quieter 4C | ||||||||
| Filter | Triad Quad Ultra (strong O III/Hα response for planetary nebulae) | ||||||||
| Location | St. Croix Observatory, Nova Scotia. | ||||||||
| Date | 2025-10-24 | ||||||||
| Processing | Processed in PixInsight. | ||||||||
| PixInsight Processing |
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