M97 · Owl Nebula
| Chinese name | 猫头鹰星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Planetary nebula |
| Constellation | UMa |
| RA | 11h15m |
| Dec | +55° |
| Apparent magnitude | 9.9ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Best season | Spring |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Focal length | 长焦 1500mm+ |
About
The Owl Nebula lies about 2,030 light-years away in Ursa Major, near the Big Dipper, named for two symmetric dark patches that resemble an owl's eyes. It is a face-on planetary nebula about three light-years across, formed from gas shed by a dying star roughly 8,000 years ago. Its body glows teal from oxygen, ringed by a faint red hydrogen halo, with a cooling white dwarf at its center. At magnitude 9.9 its low surface brightness makes it faint visually. It suits long narrowband exposures to bring out the signature 'eyes,' a classic spring planetary nebula in Ursa Major.