Owl Nebula (M97) Observation Details

M97 Daily Motion

M97 is circumpolar, never setting below the horizon and always visible in the night sky from your location. However, it will change its position significantly, moving 70 degrees over time. You can find the best times to observe M97, when it reaches its highest elevation, in the annual motion section.
M97 will be visible until August, 12, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M97 Visibility Timetable on January 21

Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
M97 is always above the horizon
Sunset	17:37	8°
Civil sunset	18:07	10°
Astrosession begin	19:13	15°
M97 is always above the horizon
Moon Rise, 46.2% illuminated	01:37	65°
M97 transit	03:39	75°
Astrosession end	06:13	60°
Civil sunrise	07:18	51°
Sunrise	07:49	47°
Moon Set	11:50	17°

Track M97 Position Throughout the Night

← Tue, 21 January 2025 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M97 changing position in the night sky.

M97 - Owl Nebula

The Owl Nebula (M97) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M97 is known for its round shape and two dark patches that resemble the eyes of an owl.

M97 spans about 2.4 light-years across and contains a central white dwarf star surrounded by a shell of ionized gas. The nebula is approximately 2,030 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 9.9, making it visible with a small telescope.

Finder Chart for M97

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Object name	M97
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M97 coordinates	11.24659, 55.01903
Center coordinates	11.24659, 55.01903

M97 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M97

Time	18:53
Latitude	39.9625
Longitude	-83.0061
M97 elevation	13°
M97 Azimuth	-26°

Here you can see the current position of the M97 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M97's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M97

Date	Wed, 22 January 2025
Twighlight start	19:09
Twighlight end	06:08
Twighlight duration	11h 59m
Rise	M97 is always up
Set	M97 is always up
Elevation at transit	75°
Transit time	03:35
Equatorial coordinate	RA: 11h 14m 47s", Dec: 55° 01' 08s
Magnitude	10
Constellation	Ursa Major

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M97, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M97 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.

Observation Settings