NGC 650-1 (M76)

4. NGC 650-1 (M76) Little Dumbbell Nebula M76 is a tiny planetary nebula at around the midway of alpha Cassiopeia and gamma Andromeda. 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. Leland S. Copeland dubbed M76 the "Little Dumbbell" because of the lobed shape of this large planetary. Though it can be well seen in a 4-inch, best views are with a shortfocus 12-inch on an good night. Medium power works well for M76, and at 150x it will glow vividly, with many delicate filaments stretching out from the edge of the main ball.