Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2021 July 12
     [2]The picture shows the planetary nebula M27 known as the Dumbbell
      Nebula. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                          M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
       Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Bray Falls & [4]Keith Quattrocchi

   Explanation: What will become of our Sun? The first hint of our
   [5]Sun's future was discovered inadvertently in [6]1764. At that time,
   [7]Charles Messier was compiling a list of diffuse objects not to be
   confused with comets. The 27th object on [8]Messier's list, now known
   as [9]M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a [10]planetary nebula, one of the
   brightest [11]planetary nebulae on the sky -- and visible toward the
   [12]constellation of the Fox ([13]Vulpecula) with binoculars. It takes
   light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, [14]featured here in
   colors emitted by [15]hydrogen and [16]oxygen. We now know that in
   about 6 billion years, [17]our Sun will [18]shed its outer gases into a
   [19]planetary nebula like M27, while its remaining center will become
   an [20]X-ray hot [21]white dwarf star. Understanding the physics and
   significance of [22]M27 was well beyond 18th century science, though.
   Even today, many things [23]remain mysterious about [24]planetary
   nebulas, including [25]how their [26]intricate [27]shapes are created.

                       Tomorrow's picture: Iapetus 3D
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    Authors & editors: [39]Robert Nemiroff ([40]MTU) & [41]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([42]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [43]Specific rights apply.
              [44]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [45]ASD at [46]NASA / [47]GSFC
                           & [48]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2107/M27_Falls_3557.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/astrofalls/
   4. http://www.lostvalleyobservatory.com/about-the-lvo.html
   5. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1764
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Messier
   8. http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-messier.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080626.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula
  12. http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulpecula
  14. http://www.lostvalleyobservatory.com/m27-dumbbell-nebula.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-alpha
  16. https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150628.html
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula#Morphology
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000910.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100826.html
  23. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/70/ce/c3/70cec30919aefe50ada3bd8e0e6239e6.jpg
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130915.html
  25. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula#Current_issues_in_planetary_nebula_studies
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210425.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200721.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210711.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  37. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=210712
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210713.html
  39. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  40. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  41. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  42. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  43. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  45. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  48. http://www.mtu.edu/