M27 a.k.a. the Dumbbell Nebula is a planetary nebula located about 400 pc (1,400 light-years) away.

M27 a.k.a. the Dumbbell Nebula is a planetary nebula located about 400 pc (1,400 light-years) away. It was the first planetary nebula ever discovered, in 1764. A planetary nebula forms when a star like our sun evolves first to a red giant stage, and sheds material, and evolves to a white dwarf. The central star in this nebula (the white dot directly at the center of the nebula) is the largest white dwarf known. This image was taken with the Large Monolithic Imager (LMI) on Lowell Observatory’s Discovery Channel Telescope.

Image credit: Massey/Neugent/Lowell Obs./NSF

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