NGC 6720, also known as M 57, the "Ring Nebula", is surely the most known PN of the sky and the most representative object of this type. Finding and spotting this object in the summer sky is very easy, and its ease of view surely contributes to its fame. Its typical shape (it's like a smoke ring in the sky!) makes it one of the most photogenic object of its kind, with the famous bright ring.
Phisically, this PN is not so young anymore, and its central star is not so bright to ionize completely all the gases. Surprisingly, the Ring nebula is not so simple as it may seem: it's not only a bubble of gas. It's indeed a bipolar PN with lobes' axis directed toward us. So the ring structure is the equatorial toroid...a real ring in the space!
Interesting level : * |
