The Dumbbell Nebula — also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853 — is a typical planetary nebula and
is located in the constellation Vulpecula (The Fox). The distance is rather uncertain, but is
believed to be around 1,200 light-years. It was first described by the French astronomer and
comet hunter Charles Messier who found it in 1764 and included it as no. 27 in his famous list
of extended sky objects [2] .Despite its class, the Dumbbell Nebula has nothing to do with planets.
It consists of very rarified gas that has been ejected from the hot central star (well visible on
this photo), now in one of the last evolutionary stages. The gas atoms in the nebula are
excited (heated) by the intense ultraviolet radiation from this star and emit strongly at
specific wavelengths.