Planetary nebula · Vulpecula

M27 Dumbbell Nebula

Also known as: NGC 6853

mag 8.18′ across

About

M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula of magnitude 8.1 in Vulpecula, about 8′ across.

M27 is in the constellation Vulpecula.
Best evenings: around early September it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 57° S.
Summer Triangle: A bright planetary nebula inside the triangle; binoculars show a small smudge.

When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.

EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
Binoculars (10×50)A small faint glow.
Telescope (6–8 inch)An apple-core shape, one of the easiest planetary nebulae; an OIII filter makes it striking.

For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.

Designations	M27, NGC 6853, PN G060.8-03.6
Type	Planetary nebula
Magnitude	8.1The smaller the number, the brighter.
Apparent size	8′the full Moon is 31′ across
Surface brightness	≈ 21.2 mag/arcsec²Estimate from the magnitude and size, per square arcsecond.
Constellation	Vulpecula
Right ascension (J2000)	19h 59m 36.4s
Declination (J2000)	+22° 43′ 16″

Bright stars:Anser 4.4

Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →