M27, The Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula located about 1,200 light years from the Earth in the constellation of Vulpecula. A planetary nebula is a shell of gas that has been shed from its parent star late in the star's life. The expanding shell of gas is excited to shine by the high-energy radiation emitted from the star, which eventually ends up as a white dwarf star. M27, discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier, was the first planetary nebula ever discovered.