What Is The M27 Dumbbell Nebula?
The M27 Dumbbell Nebula (also known as the Apple Core Nebula, M27, Messier 27, and NGC 6853) is a planetary nebula (nebulosity surrounding a white dwarf) in the constellation Vulpecula, at a distance of about 1360 light-years. Spotted by Charles Messier in 1764, M27 was the first planetary nebula ever discovered. The term “planetary nebula” is a bit of a misnomer based on the nebula’s round, planet-like appearance when viewed through smaller telescopes. The nebula is the result of an old star that has shed its outer layers in a glowing display of color. At its brightness of visual magnitude 7.5 and diameter of about 8 arcminutes, it is easily visible in binoculars and is a popular observing target in amateur telescopes, even from a light-polluted location.
M27 hosts many knots of gas and dust. These dense knots of gas and dust seem to be a natural part of the evolution of planetary nebulas. They form when the stellar winds are not powerful enough to blow away a larger clump of matter but are able to blow away smaller particles, creating a trail behind the clump. The shapes of these knots change as the nebula expands.
Astrophotography
The image above shows the Dumbbell Nebula in RGBHOO. Blue represents oxygen, red represents hydrogen. This is actually a very challenging target as I expected to get more of the outer halo visible after 9 hours of integration.
The filters I used were the ZWO Duo-Narrowband for the HOO (bicolor) and the ZWO UV/IR cut filter for the RGB to get a more natural look for the stars. Unfortunately, the total exposure time of the RGB was not enough and that made it difficult, practically impossible, to pull out more natural colors for the stars. The next time, when imaging this target, I’ll have to keep that in mind.
I photographed M27 with an 8″ Newtonian, the Sky-Watcher Explorer BD N200/1000, and the ZWO ASI 533MC Pro. Because of the fact that the Dumbbell Nebula is rather a small object, a telescope with a big aperture and a long focal length is recommended.
For beginners, M27 is an excellent target because even with short exposure times, you can achieve great results.
Image details
- Telescope: Sky-Watcher Explorer Black Diamond N200/1000
- Mount: iOptron CEM60 on iOptron tri-pier
- Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro
- Filter: 1) ZWO Duo-Narrowband 1.25″ (ZWO EFW Mini) // 2) ZWO UV/IR Cut 1.25″ (ZWO EFW Mini)
- Telescope control: ZWO ASIair v1
- Software: Astro Pixel Processor (fully stacked & processed)
18/07/2021; 02/09-03/09/2021 & 03/09-04/09/2021 (ZWO Duo-Narrowband filter)
