Owl Nebula (M97)
A planetary nebula in Ursa Major, its owl-like appearance with two dark patches (the 'eyes') requires a telescope to discern.
Planetary nebula in Ursa Major. Magnitude 9.9.
Can you see it from Guyana?
From Georgetown (6.8° N) it climbs to 42° above the northern horizon at its highest; from Lethem (3.4° N), to 39° above the northern horizon. It is highest at midnight on the night of 8 Mar, in the middle of its season. The page works out tonight's rise, highest point and set for both towns in Guyana time (UTC-4), and where the Moon is.
What you'll see
- Your eyes: Not visible to the eye.
- 10x50 binoculars: Just detectable in binoculars from a dark site, as a faint smudge.
- A small telescope (80 to 100 mm): A clear disc or ring at medium power; an OIII filter helps.
- A camera: Tiny on camera: it needs 2,000 mm or more of focal length on a tracking mount.
How big, how bright, how far
- Size on the sky: 3′, 1/10 of the Moon's width (the Moon is about 31′ wide).
- Brightness: magnitude 9.9. Fainter than the faintest stars in Georgetown (4.3) and Lethem (6.0): binoculars or a telescope.
- Distance: 2,030 light-years. The light reaching your eye left it about 2,000 years ago, around the year 30.
What it is made of
- Type
- Planetary Nebula
- Distance
- Approx. 2,030 Lightyears
- True size
- Approx. 2.4 Lightyears diameter
- Ionized Oxygen (OIII): Dominant, gives blue-green color
- Ionized Hydrogen (H-alpha): Red emission, outer shell
- Central White Dwarf: Hot, faint, ionizes nebula
More deep-sky objects: Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) · Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392 / Clown Face Nebula) · Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76) · Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242) · Ring Nebula (M57) · Blue Snowball Nebula (NGC 7662)