Featured Deep Sky Objects M97

Deep Sky Object Chart | Stars in Ursa Major | M40 | M81/M82 | M97 | M101 | M109 | NGC2841 M97, better known as the "Owl Nebula", is among the largest examples of a "planetary" or gas shell nebula, located conveniently about 2.4 degrees southeast of Merak in the bowl of the big dipper. Actually, behind the dipper - M97 is suspected to be more than 1,000 light years away! Visible as a ghostly glowing circle 2 arc minutes in diameter, M97 owes it's name to the two darker patches on either side of the 14th magnitude central star, looking like an owl's enormous eyes - however, these dark areas are hard to detect visually; photographs give the full effect. The total magnitude of this nebula is 11, much less total light than Lyra's famed Ring Nebula M57 (magnitude 9), and with that light spread out over such a large face (twice the size of the Ring), the surface brightness is fairly low and you will want a good, dark night to enjoy the owl. Home M81/M82 M101