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.

                                 2023 May 30
   [2]An expansive interstellar gas cloud is shown with an orange interior
        and outer blue filaments. Many stars are visible in the dark
    background. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                          M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
              Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Patrick A. Cosgrove

   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, one of the brightest [10]planetary nebulae on the
   sky and visible with binoculars toward the [11]constellation of the Fox
   ([12]Vulpecula). It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27,
   [13]featured here in [14]colors emitted by [15]sulfur (red),
   [16]hydrogen (green) and [17]oxygen (blue). We now know that in about 6
   billion years, [18]our Sun will [19]shed its outer gases into a
   [20]planetary nebula like M27, while its remaining center will become
   an [21]X-ray hot [22]white dwarf star. Understanding the physics and
   significance of [23]M27 was well beyond 18th century science, though.
   Even today, many things [24]remain mysterious about [25]planetary
   nebulas, including [26]how their [27]intricate [28]shapes are created.

                   Tomorrow's picture: watch a galaxy form
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    Authors & editors: [40]Robert Nemiroff ([41]MTU) & [42]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([43]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [44]Specific rights apply.
              [45]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2305/M27_Cosgrove_2717.jpg
   3. https://cosgrovescosmos.com/about
   4. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1764
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Messier
   7. http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-messier.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080626.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/planetary_nebulae.html
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula
  11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulpecula
  13. https://cosgrovescosmos.com/projects/m27-the-dumbbell-nebula-reprocess
  14. https://www.startools.org/modules/composite/usage/popular-coloring
  15. https://youtu.be/mddfu3TXaRw
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-alpha
  17. https://periodic.lanl.gov/8.shtml
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180926.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun#After_core_hydrogen_exhaustion
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula#Morphology
  21. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/11_xrays
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000910.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100826.html
  24. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/70/ce/c3/70cec30919aefe50ada3bd8e0e6239e6.jpg
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230416.html
  26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_nebula#Current_issues_in_planetary_nebula_studies
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210425.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200721.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230529.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  38. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230530
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230531.html
  40. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  41. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  42. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  43. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  44. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  46. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/