Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Perseus (Per)  ·  Contains:  Barbell Nebula  ·  Cork Nebula  ·  Little Dumbbell Nebula  ·  M 76  ·  NGC 650
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M76, The little dumbbell nebula, Steven Bellavia
M76, The little dumbbell nebula
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M76, The little dumbbell nebula

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M76, The little dumbbell nebula, Steven Bellavia
M76, The little dumbbell nebula
Powered byPixInsight

M76, The little dumbbell nebula

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Description

M76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula, the Barbell Nebula, or the Cork Nebula, is a planetary nebula, an expanding shell of gas around an aging or dying star, in the constellation Perseus. M76 was also given two New General Catalog numbers, NGC 650 and NGC 651, because it was formerly suspected to be a double nebula with two components touching each other.

Discovered in 1780 by Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain, M76 has an apparent magnitude of 12 and is best viewed in December. While it is possible to spot M76 with large binoculars at a dark site, the nebula’s small size and faintness make it one of the more difficult Messier objects to observe. Telescopes 8 inches or larger are needed to reveal the double-lobed structure of the nebula.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula derives its common name from its resemblance to the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula.

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M76, The little dumbbell nebula, Steven Bellavia

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Planetary Nebulae