M27 lies about 1200 light-years from Earth and has a diameter of about 2.4 light-years. It's expansion rate indicates that the red giant that spawned it erupted between 3000 and 4000 years ago. The white dwarf remanant of the red giant lies at the center of the nebula. This image shows some of the subtle detail inside the nebula.

Telescope: Celestron Compustar C14.

Exposures: LRGB=102:84:84:84=5hours 54minutes total exposure at f/8.3. 

This image was published in the October, 2013 issue of Astronomy Magazine.