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Little Dumbbell Nebula (WFC3 Image)

Taking up most of the image, is a multi-colored nebula appearing as two translucent orbs attached by a white band.

In celebration of the 34th anniversary of the launch of NASA’s legendary Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers took a snapshot of the Little Dumbbell Nebula, also known as Messier 76, or M76, located 3,400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus. The name 'Little Dumbbell' comes from its shape that is a two-lobed structure of colorful, mottled, glowing gases resembling a balloon that’s been pinched around a middle waist. Like an inflating balloon, the lobes are expanding into space from a dying star seen as a white dot in the center. Blistering ultraviolet radiation from the super-hot star is causing the gases to glow. The red color is from nitrogen, and blue is from oxygen.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    01:42:12
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +51:34:56
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Perseus
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    3,400 light-years
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is about 5 arcminutes across (about 5 light-years)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.

    The HST observations include those from program 17398 (C. Britt). Image Processing: Varun Bajaj (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    21 Jan - 23 Jan 2024
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F475W, F502N, F656N, F658N, F814W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Little Dumbbell Nebula, M76
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Planetary Nebula
  • Release Date
    April 23, 2024
  • Science Release
    Hubble Celebrates 34th Anniversary with a Look at the Little Dumbbell Nebula
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, STScI

Downloads

  • Full Res (For Print), 7505 × 4736
    tif (36.6 MB)
  • Full Res (For Display), 7505 × 4736
    png (32.74 MB)
  • 2000 × 1262
    png (2.8 MB)
Taking up most of the image, is a multi-colored nebula appearing as two translucent orbs attached by a white band.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3/UVIS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample various wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Cyan= F475W, Blue= F502N, Green= F656N, Red= F658N, Orange= F814W

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Annotated image labeled “Little Dumbbell Nebula, M76, HST WFC3/UVIS” against the black background of space. Near top left, a color key consisting of five lines reads: “F475W SDSS g’” in cyan; “F502N OIII” in dark blue; “F656N Ha” in green; “F658N NIII” in red; and “F814W I” in orange. The nebula is located 3,400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus. The name 'Little Dumbbell' comes from its shape that is a two-lobed structure of colorful, mottled, glowing gases resembling a balloon that’s been pinched around a middle waist. Like an inflating balloon, the lobes are expanding into space from a dying star seen as a white dot in the center. Blistering ultraviolet radiation from the super-hot star is causing the gases to glow. The red color is from nitrogen, and blue is from oxygen. At bottom left corner is a scale bar labeled “1 light-year.” At bottom right corner, the “E” compass arrow points towards the 10 o’clock position. The “N” arrow points towards the 1 o’clock position.

Little Dumbbell Nebula (WFC3 Compass Image)

This is an annotated Hubble Space Telescope image of the Little Dumbbell Nebula, located 3,400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus. The object’s name comes from its shape that is a two-lobed structure of colorful, mottled, glowing gases resembling...

The Little Dumbbell Nebula is located 3,400 light-years away in the northern circumpolar constellation Perseus.

Zoom to the Little Dumbbell Nebula

A zoom into the constellation Perseus reveals the Hubble Space Telescope's view of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Also known as Messier 76, M76, or NGC 650/651, it is composed of a ring, seen edge-on as the central bar structure, and two lobes on either opening of the ring. The two...

M76_1280x720 - Taking up most of the image, is a multi-colored nebula appearing as two translucent orbs attached by a white band.

A Tour of Messier 76

In celebration of the 34th anniversary of the launch of NASA's legendary Hubble Space Telescope on April 24, 1990, astronomers took a snapshot of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Also known as Messier 76, M76, or NGC 650/651, it is composed of a ring, seen edge-on as the central bar...

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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