Messier 97 (Ursa Major)
Fig. 1 - Looking like the head of an owl: The planetary nebula Messier 97 in Ursa Major, photographed with an 8-inch f/5 Newtonian reflector on a ZWO AM5 mount.
| Object name: | Constellation: | Coordinates: | Apparent size: | Visual brightness: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messier 97 (NGC 3587) | Ursa Major | 11h15m / +55°01' | 3.4' x 3.3' | 9.9 mag |
The planetary nebula Messier 97 (NGC 3587, "Owl Nebula") in the constellation of Ursa Major. It was formed from the cast-off outer layers of a dying star and consists of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. The shell has a mass of about 0.13 solar masses and a diameter of approximately 2 light-years and expands in space at about 40 km/s. Messier 97 is about 2,640 light-years from Earth and was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1781 (source: Wikipedia).
Exposure time: 4h 51min (97x3min) at gain 100 and -10°C, taken on March 2-4, 2025. Processing with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) and Photoshop. Darks, flats, bias and darkflats were used.
Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/5 "ONTC" Newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.
Fig. 2 - Search chart for Messier 97. Copyright 2025 'The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project', www.siaris.net.