A Tour of The Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76) | Hubble

A Tour of The Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76) | Hubble

In celebration of the 34th anniversary of the launch of NASA's legendary Hubble Space Telescope on April 24, 1990, astronomers took a snapshot of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Also known as Messier 76, M76, or NGC 650/651, it is composed of a ring, seen edge-on as the central bar structure, and two lobes on either opening of the ring. The entire nebula is expected to vanish in about 15,000 years.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula is located 3,400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus. The photogenic nebula is a favorite target of amateur astronomers.

M76 is classified as a planetary nebula. This is a misnomer because it is unrelated to planets. However, its round shape suggested it was a planet to astronomers who first viewed it through low-power telescopes. In reality, a planetary nebula is an expanding shell of glowing gases that were ejected from a dying red giant star. The star eventually collapses to an ultra-dense, hot white dwarf.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble

Credits:

Video – Danielle Kirshenblat

Image – NASA, European Space Agency and Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Duration: 2 minutes, 35 seconds

Release Date: April 23, 2024

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