Nebula
Owl Nebula
Planetary nebula · M97 · NGC 3587
Planetary nebula in Ursa Major
Photo: Stargazer 7000 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
The Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Estimated to be about 8,000 years old, it is approximately circular in cross-section with a faint internal structure. It was formed from the outflow of material from the stellar wind of the central star as it evolved along the asymptotic giant branch. The nebula is arranged in three concentric shells, with the outermost shell being about 20–30% larger than the inner shell. The owl-like appearance of the nebula is the result of an inner shell that is not circularly symmetric, but instead forms a barrel-like structure aligned at an angle of 45° to the line of sight.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~2,030 light-years
Apparent mag.
+9.9
Apparent size
3.4′ × 3.3′
Best seen with
Telescope
Catalogue
M97 · NGC 3587
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 97 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 3587.
- Found in the constellation Ursa Major.
- Needs a telescope to see clearly.
