Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula in Ursa Major, 2,600 light-years away
Owl Nebula (M97, NGC 3587, PN G148.4+57.0) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ursa Major , 2,600 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 9.9 and spans 3.4′ of sky, about 2.6 light-years across. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, and it is highest in the evening sky in April.
Planetary nebula: a shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star and lit by the hot core left behind, which becomes a white dwarf. The name comes from their small, round, planet-like look in early telescopes.
Finding Owl Nebula from Merak
Merak
M97
URSA MAJOR
Owl Nebula lies 2.3° southeast of Merak , the magnitude 2.3 star. That is within one binocular field.
Owl Nebula is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 55° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 68° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 83° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 79° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 64° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 38° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 65° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 82° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 77° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 60° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 73° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 70° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 5° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 43° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -44° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -29° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -64° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -47° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -21° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -60° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -74° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -70° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -54° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 35°S, and never sets north of 35°N.
Owl Nebula is 2,600 light-years away
The light seen from Owl Nebula tonight left it about 2,600 years ago. It ranks 18 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Gaia parallax via OpenNGC.
Objects within 6° of Owl Nebula
M108 Surfboard Galaxy, barred spiral galaxy, 48′ NGC 3631, galaxy, 2.1° NGC 3619, galaxy, 2.8° NGC 3613, galaxy, 3.0° NGC 3729, galaxy, 3.4° NGC 3610, galaxy, 3.8° NGC 3898, galaxy, 5.0° NGC 3310, galaxy, 5.5°
Owl Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations M97, NGC 3587, PN G148.4+57.0 Type planetary nebula Constellation Ursa Major Right ascension (J2000) 11h 14.8m Declination (J2000) +55° 01′ Magnitude 9.9 Apparent size 3.4′ True size 2.6 light-years Distance 2,600 light-years (Gaia parallax via OpenNGC) Best month April Best with Small telescope Messier marathon order 36
