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.

                               2019 December 3
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
                  Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Steve Mazlin

   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, the type of nebula our [10]Sun will produce when
   [11]nuclear fusion stops in its core. [12]M27 is one of the brightest
   [13]planetary nebulae on the sky, and can be seen toward the
   [14]constellation of the Fox ([15]Vulpecula) with binoculars. It takes
   light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, [16]featured here in
   colors emitted by [17]hydrogen and [18]oxygen. Understanding the
   physics and significance of [19]M27 was well beyond 18th century
   science. Even today, many things [20]remain mysterious about
   [21]bipolar planetary nebula like M27, including the physical mechanism
   that expels a low-mass star's gaseous outer-envelope, leaving an
   [22]X-ray hot [23]white dwarf.

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                     Tomorrow's picture: electric night
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    Authors & editors: [57]Robert Nemiroff ([58]MTU) & [59]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([60]UMCP)
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                           & [66]Michigan Tech. U.

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