Owl Nebula
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(Redirected from Messier 97)
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2012) |
| Owl Nebula | |
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 Owl Nebula |
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| Observation data (Epoch J2000.0) |
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| Right ascension | 11h 14.8m |
| Declination | +55° 01′ |
| Distance | 2,600 ly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +9.9 |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 3.4 × 3.3 arcmin |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 1.5 ly |
| Notable features | Owl-like "eyes" visible through larger telescopes |
| Other designations | M97, NGC 3587 |
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See also: Planetary nebula, Lists of nebulae |
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The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier Object 97 or M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781.
M97 is regarded as one of the more complex of the planetaries. The 16th magnitude central star has about 0.7 solar mass and the nebula itself about 0.15 solar mass. The nebula formed roughly 6,000 years ago.
The nebula gets its name from the appearance of owl-like "eyes" when viewed through a large (>200 mm) telescope under dark sky conditions with the aid of a so-called "nebula filter." The eyes are also (albeit, not so easily) visible in photographs of the nebula.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
- The Owl Nebula on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
- The Owl Nebula at Calar Alto Observatory
- The Owl Nebula @ SEDS Messier pages
- NightSkyInfo.com – M97, the Owl Nebula
- Norton, Andy; Crowther, Paul; Hardy, Liam. "M97 – Owl Nebula". Deep Space Videos. Brady Haran.
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Coordinates: 
11h 14.8m 00s, +55° 01′ 00″
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