by APOD Robot » Tue Dec 03, 2019 5:07 am
M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Explanation: Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly. The first hint of our
Sun's future was discovered inadvertently in
1764. At that time,
Charles Messier was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on
Messier's list, now known as
M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
planetary nebula, the type of nebula our
Sun will produce when
nuclear fusion stops in its core.
M27 is one of the brightest
planetary nebulae on the sky, and can be seen toward the
constellation of the Fox (
Vulpecula) with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
featured here in colors emitted by
hydrogen and
oxygen. Understanding the physics and significance of
M27 was well beyond 18th century science. Even today, many things
remain mysterious about
bipolar planetary nebula like M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
X-ray hot
white dwarf.
[url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191203.html] [img]https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_191203.jpg[/img] [size=150]M27: The Dumbbell Nebula[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly. The first hint of our [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/]Sun[/url]'s future was discovered inadvertently in [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1764]1764[/url]. At that time, [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Messier]Charles Messier[/url] was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on [url=http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-messier.html]Messier's list[/url], now known as [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080626.html]M27[/url] or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html]planetary nebula[/url], the type of nebula our [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131002.html]Sun[/url] will produce when [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_power]nuclear fusion[/url] stops in its core. [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020302.html]M27[/url] is one of the brightest [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula]planetary nebulae[/url] on the sky, and can be seen toward the [url=http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html]constellation[/url] of the Fox ([url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulpecula]Vulpecula[/url]) with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, [url=http://ourcolorfulcosmos.com/mazlin/nebulae/m27-the-dumbbell-nebula/]featured here[/url] in colors emitted by [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-alpha]hydrogen[/url] and [url=https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml]oxygen[/url]. Understanding the physics and significance of [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100826.html]M27[/url] was well beyond 18th century science. Even today, many things [url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/70/ce/c3/70cec30919aefe50ada3bd8e0e6239e6.jpg]remain mysterious[/url] about [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130915.html]bipolar planetary nebula[/url] like M27, including the physical mechanism that expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an [url=https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays]X-ray[/url] hot [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000910.html]white dwarf[/url].
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