Owl Nebula (M97)

Also known as M97 · M 97 · Owl Nebula · NGC 3587

Owl Nebula (M97) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major, about 2,640 light-years from Earth.

Open it on the live sky map Plan Night Exploration

Owl Nebula (M97): a sky-survey photograph of its field — Sky survey view (DSS2 colour, or a backup survey)

Facts

Type	Planetary nebula
Constellation	Ursa Major
Position (J2000)	11h 14m 47s, +55° 01′
Distance	2,640 light-years (its light set off about 2,640 years ago)
Brightness	magnitude 15.78 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6)
Size on the sky	3.3′ × 3.3′ (the full Moon is about 31′)
Filter	OIII filter (Planetary nebulae and supernova remnants shine mostly in the green light of doubly ionised oxygen: an OIII filter passes it and darkens the sky around it.)
Studied in	357 scientific papers (SIMBAD)

When and how to see it

Owl Nebula (M97) is highest in the sky at midnight in March. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 55° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 85°. To see it you need a large telescope or long-exposure photos.

Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.

For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.

More in Ursa Major

Everything in Ursa Major · All 88 constellations · All sky objects

Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits