Messier 57 (M 57)

Introduction | Map | Find/Identify | Sketch | My Best Own Photos | My Own Observations | References || Appendix: My Own Photos

On this page I collect my observations of the planetary nebula M 57 (NGC 6720), called Ring Nebula, in the constellation Lyra.

 

Introduction

The Ring Nebula M 57 in the constellation Lyra is a planetary nebula and an interesting observation object, because, under favorable conditions, you may be able to recognize a ring structure visually. However, I only saw the ring really well at the observatory in Betz, France, with a larger telescope.

In the eVscope or Vespera, however, the ring can be recognized well, even though M 57 is already very small in the Vespera.

Nearby (about 4') to M 57 is the barred spiral galaxy IC 1296, which is barely visible in most photos, because it is so faint (about 15 mag). I came across it by chance via an entry in a Facebook group (July 8, 2024). I randomly selected an eVscope 2 photo and checked whether nova.astrometry.net was able to find the galaxy. The galaxy was indeed found!

M 57 (NGC 6720)      IC 1296
Size: 3' x 2.4' (Wikipedia)
Distance: 2,570 light years (Wikipedia)
Rating: **** (Stoyan)
  Size: 1,10' × 0,8'[ (Wikipedia)
Distance: 238 million light years (Wikipedia)
Rating: ---

Observation Notes from Wikipedia (English/German Version)

English version: The nebula disk has an angular size of 1.5 × 1 arcminutes (!!!), making it too small to be resolved with 10×50 binoculars. It is best observed using a telescope with an aperture of at least 20 cm (8 in), but even a 7.5 cm (3 in) telescope will reveal its elliptical ring shape. The interior hole can be resolved by a 10 cm (4 in) instrument at a magnification of 100×. Larger instruments will show a few darker zones on the eastern and western edges of the ring, and some faint nebulosity inside the disk. The central star, at magnitude 14.8, is difficult to spot. (From: Ring Nebula (Wikipedia))

German Version (translated): M 57 can already be perceived as a foggy "smoke ring" in a small telescope from 10 cm aperture. It is, however, relatively small, so that higher magnifications (> 100) are indicated. In telescopes with an aperture of more than 20 cm, structures in the ring become visible at higher magnifications. The central star, however, is extremely faint, havin an apparent brightness of 15.8 m. To observe it, you need a telescope of at least 25 cm aperture. (From: Ringnebel (Wikipedia))

 

Map

M 57 in Lyra, M 56 is nearby, double star Albireo, too, and the two Hercules clusters M 13 and M 92 are not too far away... (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

 

Find/Identify

Find: M 57 is located between the stars Sulafat and Sheliak in constellation Lyra (see maps above and below).

Identify: In small magnifications, M 57 appears like a star, in slightly higher magnifications M 57 becomes a "blurred star", and only from a magnification of about 100 x and up, the ring can be recognized. (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

 

Sketch

The sketch by Michael Vlasov (DeepSkyWatch.com) provides a rough impression of what I observed: Sketch of M 57 (Ring Nebula) by Michael Vlasov (Copyright © Michael Vlasov 2016)

Note: I only have the author's permission to link to the sketch.

 

My Best Own Photos

Atik Infinity & Explorer 150PDS (December 31, 2017)

         

M 57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed

 

Ditto, post-processed (16 bits)

eVscope

         

M 57 - Jun 12, 2020

 

M 57 - Aug 24, 2020

 

M 57 - Sep 15, 2020

      

M 57 - Jun 12, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 24, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Sep 15, 2020, photo on top processed

   

M 57 - Jul 18, 2021

 

M 57 - Aug 20, 2021

 

M 57 - Oct 7, 2021

   

M 57 - Jul 18, 2021, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 20, 2021, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Oct 7, 2021, photo on top processed

eVscope 2 (3)

         

M 57 - Aug 21, 2023

 

M 57 - Aug 21, 2023, photo left processed

 

M 57 - Dec 18, 2023, 3 min

       
    Evaluation with nova.astrometry.net    

Vespera

M 57 - Jul 30, 2022, original (24 frames = 240s)

Vespera Pro

    

M 57 - Jul 8, 2024, 1800p (60 frames = 600s)

 

M 57 - Jul 8, 2024, 1800p (60 frames = 600s), processed

   

Evaluation with nova.astrometry.net > IC 1296

   

 

My Own Observations

Observations Summer to Autumn 2016

Note: Observation by someone else: At around 100 x you should see that it's a ring, if the sky is truly dark it should be very obvious.

Observations August 2018

Observations September to November 2018

Observations August 2019

Observations September/October 2019

Observations December 2019

Observations April to November 2020

Observations July to December 2021

Observations July 2022

Observations August to December 2023

Observations July 2024

 

References

On this Site


Appendix: My Own Photos

Atik Infinity & Heritage 100P (November 29, 2017)

    

M 57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra), unprocessed

 

M 57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra), post-processed

Atik Infinity & Heritage 100P (December 7, 2017)

With Barlow Lens (2 x)

         

M 57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed

 

Ditto, more "aggressively" post-processed

With Focal Extender (2 x)

         

M 57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed

 

Ditto, more "aggressively" post-processed

Atik Infinity & Explorer 150PDS (December 31, 2017)

         

M 57 (Ring Nebula in Lyra), unprocessed

 

Ditto, post-processed

 

Ditto, post-processed (16 bits)

ZWO ASI224 at Omegon PS 72/432

    

M 57 - Sep 2, 2021, 72frames, 5sec, gain300, processed

 

ZWO ASI224 at TS-Optics TLAPO1027

    

M 57- Sep 4, 2021, 73frames, 5sec, gain300

 

M 57- Sep 4, 20121, 73frames, 5sec, gain300, processed

eVscope

           

M 57 - Apr 15, 2020

 

M 57 - Apr 15, 2020

   
        

M 57 - Apr 15, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Apr 15, 2020, photo on top processed

   
      

M 57 - Jun 11, 2020

 

M 57 - Jun 12, 2020

 

M 57 - Jul 3, 2020, sky too bright

      

M 57 - Jun 11, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Jun 12, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Jul 3, 2020, photo on top processed

      

M 57 - Jul 9, 2020

 

M 57 - Jul 18, 2020

 

M 57 - Aug 9, 2020

      

M 57 - Jul 9, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Jul 18, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 9, 2020, photo on top processed

      

M 57 - Aug 9, 2020

 

M 57 - Aug 24, 2020

 

M 57 - Aug 25, 2020

      

M 57 - Aug 9, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 24, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 25, 2020, photo on top processed

   

M 57 - Sep 15, 2020

 

M 57 - Sep 30, 2020

 

M 57 - Nov 2, 2020

   

M 57 - Sep 15, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Sep 30, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Nov 2, 2020, photo on top processed

   

M 57 - Nov 2, 2020

 

M 57 - Nov 24, 2020

 

M 57 - Nov 24, 2020

   

M 57 - Nov 2, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Nov 24, 2020, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Nov 24, 2020, photo on top processed

   

M 57 - Jul 18, 2021

 

M 57 - Aug 20, 2021

 

M 57 - Aug 25, 2021

   

M 57 - Jul 18, 2021, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 20, 2021, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Aug 25, 2021, photo on top processed

   

M 57 - Oct 7, 2021

 

M 57 - Oct 9, 2021, somewhat fuzzy

 

M 57 - Oct 16, 2021

   

M 57 - Oct 7, 2021, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Oct 9, 2021, photo on top processed

 

M 57 - Oct 16, 2021, photo on top processed

eVscope 2

         

M 57 - Dec 10, 2021

 

M 57 - Dec 10, 2021

 

M 57 - Dec 10, 2021, photo left processed

eVscope 2 (3)

         

M 57 - Aug 21, 2023

 

M 57 - Aug 21, 2023, photo left processed

 

M 57 - Dec 18, 2023, 3 min

       
    Evaluation with nova.astrometry.net    

Vespera

M 57 - Jul 30, 2022, original (24 frames = 240s)

Vespera Pro

    

M 57 - Jul 8, 2024, 1800p (60 frames = 600s)

 

M 57 - Jul 8, 2024, 1800p (60 frames = 600s), processed

   

Evaluation with nova.astrometry.net > IC 1296