Credit & Copyright: Stefan Seip
Explanation:
"Nebula at the right foot
of
Andromeda ... " begins the description
for the 76th object in Charles Messier's 18th century Catalog
of
Nebulae and Star Clusters.
In fact, M76 is
one of the fainter objects on the Messier list and
is also known by the popular name of the "Little Dumbbell Nebula".
Like its brighter namesake M27
(the Dumbbell Nebula), M76 is recognized
as a planetary
nebula - a gaseous shroud cast off by a
dying sunlike star.
The nebula itself is thought to be shaped more like a donut, while its
box-like appearance is
due to our nearly edge-on view.
Gas expanding more rapidly away from the donut hole produces the
faint loops of far flung material.
The nebula's dying star can be picked out in
this sharp color image as
the bottom, blue-tinted member of the double star near the center
of the box-like shape.
Distance estimates place M76 about 3 to 5 thousand light-years away,
making the nebula over a
light-year in diameter.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 |
Январь Февраль Март Апрель Май Июнь Июль Август Сентябрь Октябрь Ноябрь Декабрь |
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
|
Публикации с ключевыми словами:
M 76 - planetary nebula
Публикации со словами: M 76 - planetary nebula | |
См. также:
Все публикации на ту же тему >> | |
