Little Dumbbell Nebula

Spitzer_sig13-015_1024

spitzer_sig13-015 October 28th, 2013

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

This planetary nebula, known as NGC 650 or the Little Dumbbell, is about 2,500 light-years from Earth in the Perseus constellation. Unlike the other spherical nebulas, it has a bipolar or butterfly shape due to a "waist," or disk, of thick material, running from lower left to upper right. Fast winds blow material away from the star, above and below this dusty disk. The ghoulish green and red clouds are from glowing hydrogen molecules, with the green area being hotter than the red.

In this image, infrared light at wavelengths of 3.6 microns is rendered in blue, 4.5 microns in green, and 8.0 microns in red.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5686-sig13-015-Little-Dumbbell-Nebula

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Little Dumbbell Nebula Messier 76 M76 NGC 650
Subject - Milky Way
Nebula > Type > Planetary

Distance

Universescale1
2,500 light years
Spitzer_sig13-015_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 1h 42m 19.4s
DEC = 51° 34’ 36.1”
Orientation
North is 82.7° CW
Field of View
5.1 x 5.1 arcminutes
Constellation
Perseus

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.6 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Red Spitzer (MIPS) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Spectrum_base
Blue
Green
Red
Spitzer_sig13-015_1280
×
ID
sig13-015
Subject Category
B.4.1.3  
Subject Name
Little Dumbbell Nebula, Messier 76, M76, NGC 650
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release Date
2013-10-28
Lightyears
2,500
Redshift
2,500
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/5686-sig13-015-Little-Dumbbell-Nebula
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, MIPS
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Near-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
3600, 4500, 8000
Start Time
2004-01-09T02:16, 2004-01-09T02:16, 2004-01-09T02:16
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
Reference Value
25.581, 51.5767
Reference Dimension
770, 770
Reference Pixel
385.5, 385.5
Scale
-1.11111000000000e-04, 1.11111000000000e-04
Rotation
-82.66864
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig13-015.tif
Metadata Date
2013-10-29
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
2,500 light years

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