Celestial Objects
Messier 76
Nebulae
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Messier 76, also known as M76, the Little Dumbbell Nebula, the Cork Nebula or NGC 650/651, is a planetary nebula in the constellation Perseus, discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1780. It is one of the faintest objects in Charles Messier's catalogue, formed from the outer layers of a dying sun-like star shed into space, and lies roughly 2,500 light-years from Earth; its bar-shaped, double-lobed structure gave rise to its popular nickname as a smaller counterpart to the Dumbbell Nebula, Messier 27.
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