M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula
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- RA: 20:00
- Dec: +22:43
- Magnitude: 8.1
- Distance: 1250 ly
- Constellation: Vulpecula
- Scope: 8" SCT at f/10
- Autoguider: ST-4 in faint mode
- Sky conditions: Very clear late summer night
- Film: Kodak Royal Gold 400 and Kodak Supra 400
- Exposure: 2 x 45 minutes
- Date: September 10, 2001 and September 5, 2002
Comments:
The Dumbbell Nebula was the first planetary nebula ever discovered. Charles Messier discovered this new class of objects on July 12, 1764. We view M27 approximately from its equatorial plane. A view from near one pole would probably show it as a ring and perhaps look like M57. The central star of M27 is quite bright at magnitude 13.5 and an extremely hot blueish subdwarf at about 85,000K.
Both nights were unusually steady and clear. In September 2002, I finally managed the second exposure I had been waiting for. The 2001 exposure was on Kodak Royal Gold 400 and the 2002 exposure was on Kodak Supra 400.