<BGSOUND SRC="http://www.stardoctor.org/candleinwind.mid" LOOP=INFINITE>

Dumbbell Nebula

During the dying gasps of mid-sized suns, the outer layers blossom in a brilliant splash of color, called a planetary nebula.  Whereas the lifespan of the star is in the billions of years, the stunning colors of the planetary nebula last a mere thousand years.  Thus, in death, these stars impart to the universe a brief but memorable gift of beauty, like a candle in the wind.  The upper view of the Dumbbell Nebula, M27, was taken at my dark sky observatory through a 12-inch Meade LX200R, with a SBIG ST-10MXE camera using a 0.67x AP reducer.  Exposures were 60 minutes each through red, green, and blue filters. The lower view of the Dumbbell Nebula was taken two years earlier from my backyard through a 8 inch Celestron C8, with a SBIG ST-10MXE camera.  Exposures were 110 minutes Hydrogen-alpha, 54 IDAS, 18 green, 18 red, and 24 blue.

Music:  Candle in the Wind by Elton John