M76 is a planetary nebula, which is an expanding shell of gas around an aging or dying star, and it is one of only four planetary nebulas in Charles Messier’s catalog. M76 is located in the constellation Perseus and is approximately 2,500 light-years away from Earth. It got its name because it resembles the much larger Dumbbell Nebula M27.
Messier 76 – cropped image and resampled @150%
Telescope: 16″ f3.75 Dream Scope
Camera: FLI ML16803
Mount: ASA DDM85
Exposure: 5.5 hours (40x300s L + 3x9x300s RGB)
Date: October 2021
Location: Southern Alps, France
Bart Delsaert - Astrophotography 