View source for Little Dumbbell Nebula

{{Short description|Planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus}}
{{Planetary nebula
| image =Little Dumbbell Nebula M76 by Goran Nilsson, Wim van Berlo & Liverpool Telescope.jpg
| caption =Color composite image of the Little Dumbbell Nebula taken by the [[Liverpool Telescope]]
| name =Little Dumbbell Nebula
| type =Planetary
| epoch =J2000.0
| ra ={{RA|01|42.4}}
| dec ={{DEC|+51|34|31}}
| dist_pc =780
| dist_ly =2&nbsp;500
| appmag_v =+10.1
| size_v =2.7 × 1.8 [[Minute of arc|arcmin]] (′)
| constellation =Perseus
| radius_ly =0.617
| notes =
| names =M76, NGC 650/651
}}

The '''Little Dumbbell Nebula''', also known as '''Messier 76''', '''NGC 650/651''', the '''Barbell Nebula''', or the '''Cork Nebula''',<ref name="simbad2">
{{cite web |title=M 76 – Planetary Nebula |url=http://simbad4.cfa.harvard.edu:8080/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%4084066&Name=M%20%2076&submit=submit |access-date=2010-01-25 |work=[[SIMBAD]] |publisher=[[Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg]]}}{{dead link|date=December 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> is a [[planetary nebula]] in the northern [[constellation]] of [[Perseus (constellation)|Perseus]]. It was discovered by [[Pierre Méchain]] in 1780 and included in [[Charles Messier]]'s [[Messier object|catalog]] of [[comet]]-like objects as number 76. It was first classified as a planetary nebula in 1918 by the [[astronomer]] [[Heber Doust Curtis]]. However, others might have previously recognized it as a planetary nebula; for example, [[William Huggins]] found its [[Astronomical spectroscopy|spectrum]] indicated it was a [[nebula]] (instead of a [[galaxy]] or a [[star cluster]]); and [[Isaac Roberts]] in 1891 suggested that M76 might be similar to the [[Ring Nebula]] (M57), as seen instead from the side view.<ref name="seds">
{{cite web |title=Messier 76 |url=http://messier.obspm.fr/m/m076.html |access-date=2010-01-25 |publisher=The SEDS Messier Catalog Webpages}}</ref>

M76 is currently classed as a type of [[Bipolar nebula|bipolar]] planetary nebula (BPN), composed of a ring which we see edge-on as the central bar structure, and two lobes on either opening of the ring. The progenitor star ejected the ring when it was in the [[asymptotic giant branch]], before it had become a planetary nebula. Soon afterward the star expelled the rest of its outer layers, creating the two lobes, and leaving a [[white dwarf]] as the remnant of the star's core.<ref name="mnras2008">
{{cite journal
 | last=Ramos-Larios | first=G.
 | last2=Phillips
 | date=2008
 | first2=J. P.
 | last3=Cuesta
 | first3=L.
 | title=The visual and mid-infrared properties of the bipolar planetary nebula NGC 650-1
 | journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
 | volume=391
 | issue=1 | pages=52–62
 | bibcode=2008MNRAS.391...52R
 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13886.x
| doi-access=free
 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=van Hoof |first=P. A. M. |last2=Van de Streene |first2=G. C. |last3=Exter |first3=K. M. |last4=Barlow |first4=M. J. |last5=Ueta |first5=T. |last6=Groenewegen |first6=M. A. T. |last7=Gear |first7=W. K. |last8=Gomez |first8=H. L. |last9=Hargrave |first9=P. C. |display-authors=etal |date=2013-11-28 |title=A Herschel study of NGC 650 |url=https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2013/12/aa21023-12/aa21023-12.html#S1 |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Astronomy & Astrophysics}}</ref> Distance to M76 is currently estimated to be 780 [[parsec]]s or 2,500 [[light year]]s,<ref name="mnras2005">
{{cite journal
 | last=Philips | first=J.P.
 | date=2005
 | title=The distances of highly evolved planetary nebulae
 | journal=[[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]]
 | volume=357
 | issue=2 | pages=619–625
 | bibcode=2005MNRAS.357..619P
 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08676.x
| doi-access=free
 }}</ref> making the average dimensions about 0.378 pc. (1.23 ly.) across.<ref name="ajss2002">
{{cite journal
 | last=Philips | first=J.P.
 | date=2002
 | title=The Distances of Planetary Nebulae: A Scale Based upon Nearby Sources
 | journal=[[Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series]]
 | volume=139
 | issue=1 | pages=199–217
 | bibcode=2002ApJS..139..199P
 | doi=10.1086/338028
| doi-access=free
 }}</ref>

The total nebula shines at the [[apparent magnitude]] of +10.1 with its central white dwarf or planetary nebula nucleus (PNN) at +15.9v (16.1B) magnitude.<ref name="simbad2" /> The nucleus has a surface temperature of about 88,400 [[kelvin|K]]. It has a [[radial velocity]] of &minus;19.1km/s.<ref name="ajss2002a">
{{cite journal
 | last=Philips | first=J.P.
 | date=2002
 | title=The Distances of Planetary Nebulae: A Scale Based upon Nearby Sources
 | journal=[[Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series]]
 | volume=139
 | issue=1 | pages=199–217
 | bibcode=2002ApJS..139..199P
 | doi=10.1086/338028
| doi-access=free
 }}</ref>

The Little Dumbbell Nebula derives its common name from its resemblance to the [[Dumbbell Nebula]] (M27) in the constellation of [[Vulpecula]]. It was originally thought to consist of two separate emission nebulae so it bears the [[New General Catalogue]] numbers NGC 650 and 651.

== See also ==
* The [[Dumbbell Nebula|Dumbbell (M27)]], [[Ring Nebula|Ring (M57)]], and [[Helix Nebula|Helix (NGC 7293)]] Nebulae (three other nebulae of the same type as M76)
* [[List of Messier objects]]
* [[List of planetary nebulae]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* {{WikiSky|Messier 76|name=The Little Dumbbell Nebula}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080725114807/http://www.nightskyinfo.com/archive/m76_planetary_nebula/ NightSkyInfo.com – M76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula]
* [http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/L/Little_Dumbbell_Nebula.html Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76, NGC 650 and 651)]
* [http://messier.seds.org/m/m076.html The Little Dumbbell Nebula @ SEDS Messier pages]
* {{cite web|last=Hardy|first=Liam|title=M76 – Little Dumbbell|url=http://www.deepskyvideos.com/videos/messier/M76_little_dumbbell.html|work=Deep Sky Videos|publisher=[[Brady Haran]]|author2=Crowther, Paul }}

{{Sky|01|42.4|00|+|51|34|00|3400}}
{{Portal bar|Astronomy|Stars|Outer space}}
{{Catalogs|NGC=650|NGC2=651|M=76}}
{{Messier objects}}
{{NGC10}}
{{Perseus (constellation)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little Dumbbell Nebula}}
[[Category:Messier objects]]
[[Category:NGC objects]]
[[Category:Perseus (constellation)]]
[[Category:Planetary nebulae]]
[[Category:Orion–Cygnus Arm]]
[[Category:Astronomical objects discovered in 1780]]
[[Category:Discoveries by Pierre Méchain]]