Hubble's 34th Anniversary Image: The Little Dumbbell Nebula | NASA Goddard

Hubble's 34th Anniversary Image: The Little Dumbbell Nebula | NASA Goddard

On April 24, 2024, the Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 34th year in orbit by premiering a never-before-seen view of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. The entire nebula is expected to vanish in about 15,000 years.

Hubble’s Senior Project Scientist Dr. Jennifer Wiseman takes us on a tour of this stunning new image, describes the telescope's current health, and summarizes some of Hubble's contributions to astronomy during its 34-year career.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula (also known as Messier 76, M76, or NGC 650/651) 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. But 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

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Paul Morris: Lead Producer 

Jennifer Wiseman: Narrator

Duration: 3 minutes, 33 seconds

Release Date: April 23, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebula #M76 #Messier76 #DumbbellNebula #Star #WhiteDwarf #Perseus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #HST #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video