Spark and Perl go looking
This is not a ring.
So this is not the same as the Ring Nebula?
Same kind of thing.
It is an hourglass!
It is a ring seen from the side.
The shape depends on where you happen to be standing.
Like the Moon!
Exactly like the Moon.
Good fox.
Yes — the brightest of the three.
In summer, high in the sky.
You can see this from anywhere in the world.
Where to find the Dumbbell Nebula, and when
Where the Earth is clear, it climbs high in the sky. The darker it gets, the lower it stays. Where it is black, it never comes up. No shading at all: it does not matter where you live.
What do I need to see the Dumbbell Nebula?
Binoculars with 10× magnification show it, if you rest them on a fence or a wall.
A 150 mm telescope is what shows it properly. This picture is about 200× — which is what that telescope gives on a good night.
At that magnification it drifts out of view while you watch.
A misty patch, narrow in the middle. That narrow middle is the dumbbell.
Space
Eyes, binoculars, or telescope?
Read on
Go and look