The name comes from its shape. Away from us by 1000 light years the object is quite easy to find under a dark, rural sky. This nebula was created by rejecting the atmosphere of a dying star. This stage of the star's death doesn't last too long on a cosmic scale, which is why planetary nebulae aren't very numerous. Most of them, after 50,000 years, are spreading and disappearing in space. M27 is quite large and bright for a nebula. It can be easily found with 10 X 50 binoculars. It is located at the bottom of the so-called "summer triangle" (Wega, Deneb and Altair), about one third from the star Altair to the star Deneb. The angular dimensions of the object are 8 X 4 arc minutes, and the brightness is +8 mag, that is, it isn't visible to the naked eye. Above is a photograph of a nebula with a long exposure time that reveals the colors of the object. In amateur telescopes above 8"(200 mm), in good observation conditions, this nebula looks like a fairly bright hourglass.

We start telescopic observations from the average magnification. When we increase them, the edges of the nebula will become more visible. In really large telescopes, you can even use a planetary magnification and enjoy the image of a nebula that fills the entire field of view. This is one of the first nebular objects I have ever observed in my first 4-inch telescope as a child. With binoculars, this object looks like a slightly out of focus star. I recommend watching this nebula mainly in telescopes with a diameter of more than 6 inches. In small instruments, finding an object can be a bit difficult. It is important that our telescopes are equipped with a good quality finder, preferably 50 mm in diameter. I would like to remind you that nebular objects should be observed on nights without the moon. You should leave the city area, preferably over 30 kilometers.

In the picture on the left we see the M27 as it is visible in large telexopes with a diameter of over 12 inches. Of course, in visual observations, our eyes can't see colors. They are created in photographs of the cosmos with a long exposure time. It is estimated that the Dumbbell Nebula is about 1000 light years away from us. We are watching so what it was 1000 years ago. Its true diameter is about 2-3 light years, so it belongs to the largest planetary nebulae known to us. The nebula is a remnant of a massive star, which, when passing through the phase of the red giant, has discarded its outer shells. This object is a must see for owners of telescopes. I recommend looking for him. When you manage to find him, you'll probably come back to him often. This is one of the most beautiful summer sky nebula. I hope these tips will help you. To hear in the next part of Astro Observation.