Vulpecula (The Fox) & Dumbbell Nebula M27
Vulpecula IAU constellation (268 sq deg, rank 55): September Summer Triangle constellation hosting the Dumbbell Nebula (M27), Coathanger, and first pulsar.
Sky Navigation & Astrophysical Context
Lying right at the heart of the Summer Triangle across 268 square degrees between Albireo (the beak of Cygnus) to the north and the Arrow of Sagitta to the south, Vulpecula was created by Johannes Hevelius in 1687 as 'Vulpecula cum Ansere'—'The Little Fox with the Goose'—depicting a fox carrying a goose in its jaws toward Cerberus and the Eagle Aquila. Although the IAU shortened the constellation's name to Vulpecula, the goose is immortalized in the name of its brightest star: Anser (Alpha Vulpeculae, V = +4.44), a carbon-depleted M0.5 IIIb red giant that forms a wide binocular optical double with 8 Vulpeculae (+5.81) 7 arcminutes away.
Three degrees north of the arrowhead star Gamma Sagittae glows Vulpecula's crown jewel: the Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 27 / NGC 6853, V = +7.4). Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764 as the very first planetary nebula ever cataloged, M27 spans 8 × 5.6 arcminutes at 389 parsecs (~1,270 light-years), making it the largest and brightest planetary nebula in the northern sky and an effortless target in 10×50 binoculars. On the western border 4° south of Anser sits Collinder 399 (Brocchi's Cluster / 'The Coathanger'), a beloved 1.5°-wide binocular asterism of six fifth- to seventh-magnitude stars in a straight east-west bar topped by a four-star southern hook.
In radio and compact-object astronomy, Vulpecula is legendary as the birthplace of pulsar science: in November 1967, graduate student Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish at Cambridge University detected regular 1.3373-second radio pulses from PSR B1919+21 (originally dubbed 'LGM-1') just 2° southeast of Anser—the first neutron star pulsar ever discovered.
Equatorial Center Position & Transit Altitude
Vulpecula is centered near Right Ascension 20h 13m 48s, Declination +24° 26′ 24″ (The Little Fox).
Practical Star-Hopping & Observing Tips
- Drop 6° south from Albireo (Beta Cygni) to spot red Alpha Vulpeculae (Anser, +4.44) and its orange binocular companion 8 Vulpeculae (+5.81), then continue 4° south to sweep up the upside-down Coathanger asterism (Collinder 399) in binoculars.
- Hop 3.2° due north from Gamma Sagittae (the eastern tip of Sagitta) to center the apple-core hourglass of the Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 27) in binoculars or any telescope.
- Look 1° east of the Coathanger hook with a 100 mm+ telescope to resolve the rich background open cluster NGC 6802.
Notable Celestial Objects in & Near Vulpecula
| Object | Family | Classification | RA (J2000) | Dec (J2000) | Min. Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Nebula (Messier 27 in Vulpecula) | nebulae | Planetary nebula (bipolar lobe system viewed equator-on) | 19h 59m 36.34s | +22° 43′ 16.1″ | 7×50 binoculars |
| Albireo (Beta Cygni Color Double Star) | multiple-stars | Wide visual double star (K3 II amber giant + B8 V blue-green dwarf) | 19h 30m 43.29s | +27° 57′ 34.8″ | 10×50 binoculars (best in 50–100 mm telescope at 30×–60×) |
| Ring Nebula (Messier 57 in Lyra) | nebulae | Planetary nebula (bipolar barrel viewed nearly pole-on) | 18h 53m 35.08s | +33° 01′ 45.0″ | 60–80 mm telescope (stellar in 10×50 binoculars) |
| HD 189733 b — Cobalt-Blue Hot Jupiter Data | exoplanets | Hot Jupiter Exoplanet | 20h 00m 43.71s | +22° 42′ 39.1″ | 100–200 mm telescope + cooled CCD/CMOS camera for transit photometry |
| PSR B1919+21 (CP 1919) — First Known Pulsar | compact-objects | Canonical Radio Pulsar | 19h 21m 44.81s | +21° 53′ 02.2″ | Radio, X-ray, or large-aperture professional optical/IR instrumentation |
Scientific Sources Cited
- IAU Official Constellation Boundaries & Designations (IAU 88 Recognized Constellations): Delporte, E. 1930, Délimitation scientifique des constellations (IAU / Cambridge University Press) — International Astronomical Union (IAU)
- SIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS) (2026-10 release): Wenger, M., et al. 2000, A&AS, 143, 9 (The SIMBAD astronomical database) — Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg