Deep Sky Object in Autumn
M76 (Planetary Nebula in Perseus)


Date & Time: Dec 22 2017, from 19:46 to 21:17 JST(+0900)
Composed 9 shots with 8 minutes exposed
Optical: Meade 25cm(10") Schmidt-Cassegrain with a conversion lens (f=1600mm, F6.3)
with BaaderPlanetarium UV/IR cut filter
Auto-guided with Meade LX200 Eqatorial & Pictor 201XT
Digital Camera: Canon EOS 600D (Remodeled)
Location: Ooizumi, Hokuto city, Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Recording Format...14bit CCD-RAW, converted to 16bit TIFF(5184×3456)
CCD Sensitivity...ISO1600


M76 (NGC650-1) / Planetary Nebula, type V
R.A.01h 42m 18.0s (2000.0)
Dec.+51° 34' 00" (2000.0)
Apparent Size2.5×1.5'
Real Size6.23×3.45 light yrs.
Magnitude12.2
Distance8180 light yrs.
M76 is a tiny planetary nebula at around the midway of alpha Cas and gamma And. Though M76 belongs to the constellation of Perseus, you can find the nebula easily by using of 51 Andromedae (tip of right toe of Princess) as pilotage. The nebula lies about 3 degrees NNE from it.
M76 has a nickname of "Little Dumb-bell Nebula" because the shape is very similar to shrinked Dumb-bell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula. The nebula is very dimmed, so it might be needed large-sized telescope to enjoy the shape of M76.
The nebula is estimated about 8000 light years from the solar system.



NGC40

Copyright(c) 2018 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
To top page To Deepsky in Autumn index Perseus