Dumbbell Nebula is a planetary nebula in Vulpecula, 1,270 light-years away
Dumbbell Nebula (M27, NGC 6853, PN G060.8-03.6) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vulpecula , 1,270 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 7.4 and spans 8′ × 5.6′ of sky, about 3.0 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in September.
Planetary nebula: a shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star and lit by the hot core left behind, which becomes a white dwarf. The name comes from their small, round, planet-like look in early telescopes.
Finding Dumbbell Nebula from Telum
Telum
M27
VULPECULA
Dumbbell Nebula lies 3.2° north of Telum , the magnitude 3.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Dumbbell Nebula is highest in the evening in September
JAN
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DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 44° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -5° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 58° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 71° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 79° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 4° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 81° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 75° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -66° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -46° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -75° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -82° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 46° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -80° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -71° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -21° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 67°S, and never sets north of 67°N.
Dumbbell Nebula is 1,270 light-years away
The light seen from Dumbbell Nebula tonight left it about 1,270 years ago, around 756 AD. It ranks 6 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance 388 pc, Deng et al. 2025; Gaia parallax ~389 pc.
Objects within 6° of Dumbbell Nebula
NGC 6830, open cluster, 2.0° NGC 6823, open cluster, 3.8° M71, globular cluster, 4.2° C37, open cluster, 4.7° NGC 6882, open cluster, 4.7° NGC 6905 Blue Flash Nebula, planetary nebula, 5.9°
Dumbbell Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations M27, NGC 6853, PN G060.8-03.6 Type planetary nebula Constellation Vulpecula Right ascension (J2000) 19h 59.6m Declination (J2000) +22° 43′ Magnitude 7.4 Apparent size 8′ × 5.6′ True size 3.0 light-years Distance 1,270 light-years (Gaia extinction distance 388 pc, Deng et al. 2025; Gaia parallax ~389 pc) Best month September Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 75
