Astronomy Picture of the Day · March 6, 2001

M27: The Dumbbell Nebula

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 6, 2001 is “M27: The Dumbbell Nebula,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit & Copyright: Michael Pierce ( Indiana U. ) et al., WIYN , AURA , NOAO , NSF). The original explanation runs about 150 words.

From the explanation

“The first hint of what will become of our Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764. At that time, Charles Messier was compiling a list of “annoying” diffuse objects not to be confused with “interesting” comets.”

— APOD editors, March 6, 2001

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: March 6, 2001
Type: Image
Credit: Credit & Copyright: Michael Pierce ( Indiana U. ) et al., WIYN , AURA , NOAO , NSF
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 150 words

All of March 2001 → · 2001 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Sun Nebulae Comets

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: March 6 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, March 6, 2001 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2001-march-6-m27-the-dumbbell-nebula

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.