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Planetary nebula · Ursa Major

Owl Nebula

M97 · NGC 3587
Above the horizon all nightHighest after dark 05:17 · northeast · 40°
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Owl NebulaN ↑ E ← · 36° FIELD

Where is the Owl Nebula?

Times for LondonChange city

Look northeast, about 40° up at 05:17 in Ursa Major.

Rises
Always up
Highest
11:16
Sets
Never
Best after dark
05:17 · 40°

Can I see the Owl Nebula tonight?

From London tonight, the Owl Nebula is above the horizon all night. It’s highest just before dawn, around 05:17, in the northeast at 40°.

At magnitude 9.9, with its light spread out, it needs a telescope and a dark sky.

This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.

What does the Owl Nebula look like?

Eyes

Not visible

Too faint to see by eye.

Binoculars

Too faint for most binoculars.

Telescope

A small disk or ring of gray-green light.

What you’re likely to see, not what a space telescope photographs. General guidance from catalog brightness and size, not a forecast for tonight.

About the Owl Nebula

The Owl Nebula (M97) is a planetary nebula in Ursa Major, with a total brightness of magnitude 9.9 and an apparent size of 3.6′.

Nearby in the sky

Sources: OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0); star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences