The Owl Nebula

The Owl Nebula – M97 in the Messier Catalogue or NGC 3587 – is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Ursa Major.

The Owl Nebula M97
The Owl Nebula M97 – Image Credit: Goran Nilsson & The Liverpool Telescope via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Owl_Nebula_M97_Goran_Nilsson_%26_The_Liverpool_Telescope.jpg

The Owl Nebula is around 0.56 parsecs (1.8 light-years) in diameter and has an apparent magnitude of +9.9.

The Owl Nebula derives its name from the eye-like features that resemble the face of an owl, although a large amateur telescope greater than ten inches is needed to see them. The nebula itself can be distinguished with a smaller telescope, however.

The equatorial coordinates of the Owl Nebula are:
Right Ascension: 12h 56m 43.7s, Declination: +21° 40′ 58″

To find the current position of the Owl Nebula in the sky from your location, visit our Night Sky Simulator.

Astronomy, Cosmology, Space and Astrophysics