Dumbbell nebula facts for kids
The Dumbbell Nebula is a beautiful cloud of gas and dust in space. It's also known by other names like Messier 27 or M 27. This amazing object is found in the constellation called Vulpecula. It's about 1,360 light years away from our earth. The Dumbbell Nebula was the very first planetary nebula ever found. It was discovered by a famous astronomer named Charles Messier in 1764.
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What is the Dumbbell Nebula?
The Dumbbell Nebula is a special type of space cloud called a planetary nebula. Don't let the name fool you! It has nothing to do with planets. These nebulae form when a star like our Sun reaches the end of its life. The star puffs off its outer layers of gas. This gas then glows brightly, creating amazing shapes and colors. The Dumbbell Nebula got its name because it looks a bit like a dumbbell or an hourglass.
Where Can You Find It?
You can find the Dumbbell Nebula in the sky within the constellation of Vulpecula. Vulpecula means "little fox" in Latin. It's a small constellation that you can see in the northern sky. It's part of a larger area of space called the Orion–Cygnus Arm of our Milky Way galaxy.
How Far Away is the Dumbbell Nebula?
The Dumbbell Nebula is very far away from Earth. It is about 1,360 light years distant. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. Light travels incredibly fast, about 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second! So, 1,360 light-years is a huge distance. It means the light we see from the Dumbbell Nebula today left it 1,360 years ago.
Who Discovered This Nebula?
The Dumbbell Nebula was the first planetary nebula ever discovered. It was found by a French astronomer named Charles Messier. He spotted it on July 12, 1764. Charles Messier was famous for making a list of fuzzy objects in the sky. These objects could sometimes be mistaken for comets. His list, called the Messier Catalogue, helps astronomers find many amazing things in space. The Dumbbell Nebula is number 27 on his list, which is why it's also called Messier 27 or M 27.
Images for kids
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Dumbbell Nebula, north is diagonal left-up
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Blend of UHC and RGB exposures of M27 taken with moderate level amateur equipment in the center of a capital city
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M27 with 5.5" telescope from city suburbs
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Skywatcher 120mm ED APO
See also
In Spanish: Nebulosa Dumbbell para niños
