The planetary nebula M27 is in the photo highlighted by NASA this Tuesday (30). Also known as Dumbbell’s Nebula, it lies about a thousand light years from us and is considered one of the brightest planetary nebulae.
This planetary nebula lies towards the constellation Vulpecula the Fox. It is formed by an ancient star that is nearing the end of its life and has expelled its outermost layers.
In the photo, the shades of red, green and blue indicate the sulfur, hydrogen and oxygen released by the star, respectively. The image also shows the details of its structure, divided into two poles. Planetary nebulae of this type are a mystery to astronomers.
The Dumbbell Nebula is home to numerous knots of gas and dust, structures that arise when stellar winds are not strong enough to push large amounts of matter and disperse only smaller particles. They create a kind of contrail behind the nodes, which change appearance as the nebula expands.
Learn more about planetary nebulae
Planetary nebulae are regions of gas and dust expelled by intermediate-mass stars such as the Sun. Therefore, despite the name, they are not related to planets – the confusion comes from observations of them carried out a few centuries ago, when astronomers believed they were seeing gaseous planets.
Observed by the French astronomer Charles Messier, the planetary nebula M27 was the first object of its kind discovered. It has a magnitude of 7.5, and can be seen through small telescopes.
They are relatively short-lived phenomena (in astronomical terms), and do not last more than a few tens of thousands of years. Even so, they help scatter the elements formed by the star into space.
Source: ETC
