Messier (M27) is a planetary nebula. Also commonly called the dumbbell nebula since it has the shape of a dumbbell. It is in the constellation Velpecula and is approximately 1300 light years away. It is a favorite summer time image since it lies in the summer triangle ( made up of three stars named Altair, Deneb, and Vega).
This image was taken in the early morning around 1am in my backyard in Midland, TX on July 29th, 2011. I used a light pollution filter and this image is at F2 with a QHY8 CCD camera and a Hyperstar. I used my 11" Celestron HD as my imaging platform.
A 5min exposure stacked with 10 images for the final result.
Click on the image for zooming.