The Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula located approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain on February 16, 1781. When William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, observed the nebula in 1848, his hand-drawn illustration resembled an owl's head.

Distance to Earth: 2,600 light years

Radius: 0.913777221 light years

Magnitude: 9.9

Constellation: Ursa Major

Coordinates: RA 11h 14m 48s | Dec +55° 1′ 0″

Did you know: Messier 97 is one of only four planetary nebulae listed in the Messier Catalogue.