M27: Not A Comet . ... Well, 20th century astronomers would classify it as a Planetary Nebula ... but it's not a planet either, even though it may appear round and planet-like in a small telescope. Messier 27 (M27) is now known to be an excellent example of a gaseous emission nebula created as a sun-like star runs out of nuclear fuel in its core. ... This gorgeous synthetic color picture of M27 was produced during testing of the European Southern Observatory's new Very Large Telescope . ...