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Astronomy: Messier 76 Little Dumbbel Nebula
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M76 is one of the fainter objects on the Messier list of diffuse objects in the sky and is also known by the popular name of the "Little Dumbbell Nebula". Distance estimates place this nebula about 3.000 - 5.000 light-years away with a diameter of over 1 light-year. Like its brighter namesake M27 (the Dumbbell Nebula), M76 is categorized 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. Related subjects>> M27 (the Dumbbel Nebula)>> Messier catalog of 110 deep sky objects |
 In the center of M76 lies the dying star. < JPG image 700 X 480 pixels > |
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