Messier 76
M76
📋 A written introduction is coming — for now this page shows official values only.
Object
- Type (NASA)
- Planetary Nebula
- Distance from Earth
- 3,400 light-years
- Apparent magnitude
- 12 mag
- Apparent size
- 2 ′
- NASA description
- This planetary nebula is also known as the Cork Nebula, Barbell Nebula, or Little Dumbbell Nebula.
Source:NASA Hubble (Messier/Caldwell catalogs) · checked 2026-11-02 ↗NASA HEASARC (Goddard Space Flight Center) · checked 2026-11-02 ↗
Related
Constellation
In everyday life
- Light from this object takes about 3,400 years to reach Earth — the light you see tonight left 3,400 years ago (official distance ÷ speed of light).
- At magnitude 12 it is fainter than the naked-eye limit (about 6) — you need binoculars or a telescope.
- It spans about 2′ of sky — about 1/16 of the full Moon's 31′.