Owl Nebula (M 97)

The Owl Nebula (M 97), also known as Messier 97, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 2,600 light-years from Earth. It is one of the brightest objects in the Messier Catalog and gets its name from its distinctive owl-eyed appearance. The nebula was discovered on February 16, 1781, by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain.

Structure and characteristics of the Owl Nebula

The M 97 nebula consists of a cloud of gas and dust ejected by a star in the final stages of its evolution. At the center of the nebula is a white dwarf, the remnant of a star that has outlived its red giant phase and exhausted its fuel. The nebula's structure includes three concentric shells, with the outer shell approximately 20-30% larger than the inner shell. An important feature is the shape of the inner shell, which breaks the circular symmetry, creating an effect reminiscent of the eyes of an owl.

Composition and components of the nebula

The Owl Nebula contains about 0.13 solar masses of matter, including elements such as hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. The gas density in the nebula is less than 100 particles per cubic centimeter. The outer radius of the nebula is about 0.91 light years (0.28 parsecs). The nebula is expanding at a speed of 27 to 39 km/s into the surrounding interstellar space.

History of the discovery of the Owl Nebula

The nebula was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and immediately included in the Messier catalog under number 97. In 1844, Admiral William H. Smith classified the object as a planetary nebula. In 1848, while observing through a telescope, William Parsons noticed that the shape of the nebula resembled the head of an owl, and since then the nebula has been called the Owl Nebula.

Observing and photographing the Owl Nebula

Although the Owl Nebula is not visible to the naked eye, it can be observed with small telescopes or binoculars with a magnification of 20×80. A more detailed study of the "eyes" of the owl requires a telescope with an aperture of 10 inches or more. To find the nebula in the night sky, you need to look toward the southwest corner of the Big Dipper, near the star Beta Ursae Majoris, and move about 2.5 degrees in a southeast direction.

Conclusion

The Owl Nebula is one of the most studied objects in astronomy due to its brightness and unique shape. Using modern telescopes such as Hubble and Spitzer, scientists continue to study the features of this amazing planetary nebula, which helps to better understand the processes that occur in stars in the final stages of their life cycle.