M57 Ring Nebula Estes Park Memorial Observatory Posted on by Estes Park Memorial Observatory Location: Lyra; Distance: 2.4 ± 0.7 Thousand Light Years; Planetary Nebula; Gas expelled by red giant on way to becoming white dwarf. Diameter: 2.6 light years; Expansion Rate: 20 – 30 km/sec. Total color exposure 30 minutes.