The first hint of what will become of our Sun was discovered inadvertently in 1764. The 27th object on Messier's list , now known as M27 or the Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula , the type of nebula our Sun will produce when nuclear fusion stops in its core. M27 is one of the brightest planetary nebulae on the sky, and can be seen in the constellation Vulpecula with binoculars. It takes light about 1000 years to reach us from M27, shown above in representative colors. Understanding the physics and significance of M27 was well beyond 18th century science.
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