Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Perseus (Per)  ·  Contains:  Barbell Nebula  ·  Cork Nebula  ·  Little Dumbbell Nebula  ·  M 76  ·  NGC 650
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M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula), Gary Trapuzzano
M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula)
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M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula)

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula), Gary Trapuzzano
M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula)
Powered byPixInsight

M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula)

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Description

Messier 76 (M76), also known as the Little Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Perseus. The nebula lies at an approximate distance of 2,500 light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.1. It has the designations NGC 650 and NGC 651 in the New General Catalogue as it was once believed to consist of two separate emission nebulae.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula is sometimes also called the Cork Nebula or the Barbell Nebula. It occupies an area of 2.7 by 1.8 arc minutes of apparent sky, which corresponds to a spatial diameter of only 1.23 light years. The nebula’s size and faintness makes it one of the most difficult Messier objects to observe.

Messier 76 lies in the eastern part of Perseus constellation, next to the border with Andromeda. It is quite easy to find because it is located just south of Cassiopeia’s W asterism and about a degree north-northwest of the magnitude 4.0 star Alseiph, Phi Persei. The nebula is in the same region of the sky as the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).

This image would benefit from more integration so I'm sure I'll revisit it on a future date.

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M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula), Gary Trapuzzano

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Planetary Nebula