Little Dumbbell Nebula

planetary nebula · M76 · in Perseus

3,400 light-years from Earth

One of the faintest objects in Messier's list, found by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and given two NGC numbers because it was thought to be two clouds side by side. A ring of gas seen nearly edge-on makes the bright bar, and two faint lobes of gas are blown out on either side of it.

• about 3,400 light-years (uncertain by about 40%) · about 2.6 light-years across
• its central star is about 140,000 to 210,000 °C

kind

nebula

catalogue

M76 · NGC 650 · NGC 651

size

2.6 light-years across