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.

                              2024 December 30
   [2]A starfield is shown with a frame dominated by a gaseous nebula. The
    nebula, filled with structure, appears orange in the center but blue
       around the edges. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                          M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
               Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Christopher Stobie

   Explanation: Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly. The
   first hint of our [4]Sun's future was discovered inadvertently in
   [5]1764. At that time, [6]Charles Messier was compiling a list of
   diffuse objects not to be confused with comets. The 27th object on
   [7]Messier's list, now known as [8]M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a
   [9]planetary nebula, one of the brightest [10]planetary nebulas on the
   sky and visible with binoculars toward the [11]constellation of the Fox
   ([12]Vulpecula). It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
   [13]featured here in [14]colors emitted by [15]sulfur (red),
   [16]hydrogen (green) and [17]oxygen (blue). We now know that in about 6
   billion years, [18]our Sun will [19]shed its outer gases into a
   [20]planetary nebula like M27, while its remaining center will become
   an [21]X-ray hot [22]white dwarf star. Understanding the physics and
   significance of [23]M27 was well beyond 18th century science, though.
   Even today, many things [24]remain mysterious about [25]planetary
   nebulas, including [26]how their [27]intricate [28]shapes are created.

      APOD Year in Review: [29]Night Sky Network Presentation for 2024
                    Tomorrow's picture: dark and twisted
     __________________________________________________________________

      [30]< | [31]Archive | [32]Submissions | [33]Index | [34]Search |
   [35]Calendar | [36]RSS | [37]Education | [38]About APOD | [39]Discuss |
                                    [40]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [41]Robert Nemiroff ([42]MTU) & [43]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([44]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [45]Specific rights apply.
            [46]NASA Web Privacy, [47]Accessibility, [48]Notices;
                A service of: [49]ASD at [50]NASA / [51]GSFC,
                         [52]NASA Science Activation
                           & [53]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2412/M27_Stobie_1432.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/Stobiewankenobi.space
   4. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1764
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Messier
   7. http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-messier.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080626.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula
  11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulpecula
  13. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_N-dpSvzYy/
  14. https://www.startools.org/modules/composite/usage/popular-coloring
  15. https://youtu.be/mddfu3TXaRw
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-alpha
  17. https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180926.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula#Morphology
  21. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000910.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241005.html
  24. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/70/ce/c3/70cec30919aefe50ada3bd8e0e6239e6.jpg
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230416.html
  26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula#Current_issues_in_planetary_nebula_studies
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210425.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200721.html
  29. https://youtu.be/CHhiJoOcInY
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241229.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  36. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  39. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241230
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241231.html
  41. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  42. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  43. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  44. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  45. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  46. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  49. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  50. https://www.nasa.gov/
  51. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  52. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  53. http://www.mtu.edu/