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M33 M31 M27 Dumbbell

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M13 Albireo (Beta Cygni)

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The Dumbbell Nebula is a glowing is our galactic The Triangulum Galaxy is a large, shell of gas expelled from a dying neighbor – a large, spiral galaxy with arms that contain called a and was similar to our own , but enormous stellar nurseries where first discovered in 1764. NSF-funded containing twice as many . massive new stars develop. Observing researchers study planetary nebula Smaller satellite actually beyond our galaxy is like looking to learn more about what happens orbit Andromeda. NSF-funded back in time, and NSF-funded when a star reaches the end of its astronomers study these satellite scientists study star-forming regions life. Did you know the central star galaxies to test theories about some to learn more about the earliest left behind in a planetary nebula of the earliest . Did stages of star and formation. is a , and Dumbbell you know in 4 billion years the Did you know some of Triangulum’s Nebula’s white dwarf is the largest Andromeda galaxy will collide with young stars are 120 times the ’s one discovered to date? the Milky Way? and very hot: ~40,000 degrees Celsius?

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Credit: T.A.Rector (NRAO/AUI/NSF and NOAO/AURA/NSF) and M.Hanna Credit: REU program/NOAO/AURA/NSF Credit: T.A.Rector and B.A.Wolpa/NOAO/AURA/NSF (NOAO/AURA/NSF)

Albireo (Beta Cygni) M13 Hercules Globular Cluster Distinctive Albireo is a close pair of stars that form a “binary” system. The Hercules Globular Cluster is Albireo A (a brighter yellow star) a spherical stellar swarm packed and Albireo B (a fainter blue star) are with hundreds of thousands of stars. dance partners locked together by Globular clusters are among the . NSF-funded scientists study oldest objects in the , so binary stars, discovering new ways NSF-funded researchers can trace form. Did you know that conditions in the universe at the although the Sun stands alone, earliest times when galaxies were about 40% of stars like it form just starting to form. Did you know binary or multi-star systems? light from this cluster takes about 25,000 years to travel to ?

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Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker Credit: Allison McGraw/NOAO/AURA/NSF (WIYN and NOAO/AURA/NSF)