The Owl Nebula, catalogued as Messier 97, is a planetary nebula about 2,030 light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, formed roughly 8,000 years ago from material shed by the stellar wind of its central star as it evolved along the asymptotic giant branch. It is arranged in three concentric shells, with the outer shell about 20 to 30 percent larger than the inner one, and its owl-like appearance comes from an inner shell shaped like a barrel tilted at about 45 degrees to our line of sight.
Facts
Classification
Constellation Discovery Year In the Other Atlases
In Constellation
Also in Divinity Atlas: the constellation this subject lies in.
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia Foundation
2. APOD 2009 May 15, M97 The Owl Nebula - NASA
Caption textQuote, Caption text
A planetary nebula, the glowing gaseous envelope shed by a dying sun-like star
3. Wikipedia: Owl Nebula - Wikipedia
Discovery section
The Owl Nebula was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Mechain on February 16, 1781.
Infobox
NGC 3587
Owl Nebula, Wikipedia - lead section, catalogue classification
The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Owl Nebula, Wikipedia - lead section, constellation
The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
In Group: Planetary Nebulae, Lead sentence
The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
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