Dumbbell Nebula

Nebula in Vulpecula · 1,360 light-years

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Type	Nebula
Constellation	Vulpecula
Right ascension	19h 59m 36s
Declination	+22° 43′
Object distance	1,360 light-years
Apparent magnitude	7.4
Apparent size	6.7′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter	2.7 light-years across
Also known as	M27 · NGC 6853

Messier 27, popularly known as the Dumbbell Nebula, is a nebula (also catalogued as NGC 6853) in Vulpecula — a glowing cloud of interstellar gas and dust. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 6.7 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 7.4, it is an easy target for binoculars and small telescopes.

Although it appears about 6.7′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 2.7 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Dumbbell Nebula

Dumbbell Nebula lies in the constellation Vulpecula and is best placed in the evening sky around July. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It is best placed for observers in the northern hemisphere, and sits low for those far south. It is a comfortable target for binoculars and small telescopes. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.

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Sources

Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.

Related objects

Orion Nebula — nebula
Ring Nebula — nebula
Eagle Nebula — nebula
Carina Nebula — nebula
Lagoon Nebula — nebula