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> Dumbell planetary nebula in Vulpecula

Dumbell planetary nebula in Vulpecula

author: J.Lodriguss/Novapix

reference: a-nep68-53005

Image Size 300 DPI: 23 * 15 cm

Planetary nebula are shells of gas shed by stars late in their life cycles after using up all of their nuclear fuel. The star then ejects a significant portion of its mass in a gaseous shell, which is illuminated by its extremely hot central star, which was just the core left from the original star. Our own star, the Sun, is expected to undergo the same process in a couple of billion years. Planetary nebulae do not last long at all in cosmic terms, the shell of gas expands and diffuses becoming invisible and the star turns into a white dwarf. M27's central star has a magnitude of 13.5 and is an extremely hot blueish dwarf with a temperature of about 85,000 K.

Keywords for this photo:

1994 - ASTRONOMY - DUMBBELL - DWARF - DYING STAR - EVOLUTION - M27 - NEBULA - NGC 6853 - PLANETARY NEBULA - STAR - VULPECULA - WHITE DWARF -