Woomera ObservatoryWoomera Astronomy Images M57 Ring Nebula Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

Messier 57, also known as the Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula, the glowing remains of a sun-like star. The tiny white dot in the center of the nebula is the star’s hot core, called a white dwarf. M57 is about 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra, and is best observed during August. Discovered by the French astronomer Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in 1779, it can be viewed with a moderately sized telescopes.

Messier 57 Ring Nebula
M57 Ring Nebula (2000 light years from earth) - "Baker Observatory" - Photographer © Darren Chase, Woomera
M57 Ring Nebula (2000 light years from earth) – “Baker Observatory”
Photographer © Darren Chase, Woomera

Footnote & References

  1. Messier 57 (The Ring Nebula), Hubble’s Messier Catalalog, NASA, https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/messier-57-the-ring-nebula
  2. Ring Nebula, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_Nebula (last visited June 22, 2022)

Woomera ObservatoryWoomera Astronomy Images M57 Ring Nebula Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

WoomeraWoomera Observatory Woomera Astronomy Images M57 Ring Nebula Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

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