Messier 57, more famously known as the Ring Nebula, graces the constellation Lyra as one of the finest planetary nebulae in the night sky. A true summer showpiece, it’s remarkably easy to locate and observe—even through modest instruments as small as 80mm (about three inches) in aperture. As June nights fall, M57 rises swiftly in the east, already standing 50 degrees above the horizon by the…
