The Dumbbell Nebula or M27 is a showpiece object that's a popular visual and imaging target for amateur astronomers. It's arguably the finest planetary nebula in the night sky and was the first of its type to be discovered. The name derives from its resemblance to a dumbbell shape, but it has also been compared to an apple core and an hourglass figure. With a magnitude of +7.4, M27 is the second brightest planetary nebula in the sky. Only the
Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) in Aquarius is brighter. However, the Dumbbell Nebula has a higher surface brightness and therefore the easier of the two targets to spot.M27 was discovered by Charles Messier on July 12, 1764. It's located 1,360 light-years from Earth and has an apparent diameter of 8.0 x 5.6 arc minutes.
Information Credits:
Freestarcharts.comTelescope: Explorer Scientific 127mm CF APO Refractor f/7.5 (952mm Focal Length)
Mount IOptron CEM40
Camera ZWOASI6200MC-Pro Temp -10C, Binning 1 x 1, Gain 100 Offset 50
ZWO EFW
86 X 150 Second Exposures W/Optolong L-Extreme Filter (6nm)
30 Dark Frames/30 Flats
Total Integration Time: 3 Hours 35 Minutes
Acquisition with SharpCap
Stacked with Astro Pixel Processor
Guiding PHD2
Processed with Astra Image
Photo taken from Seven Lakes, NC Bortle 4.5
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