The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a starburst planetary nebula approximately 2,030 ly way in the northern constellation Ursa Major. Its light reaching our neighborhood is about 8,000 years old. It is approximately circular in cross-section with faint internal structure. It was formed from the outflow of material from the stellar wind of the central star as it evolved along the asymptotic giant branch. The nebula is arranged in three concentric shells/envelopes, with the outermost shell being about 20–30% larger than the inner shell. A mildly owl-like appearance of the nebula is the result of an inner shell that is not circularly symmetric, but instead forms a barrel-like structure aligned at an angle of 45° to the line of sight.

The nebula holds about 0.13 solar masses (M_☉) of matter, including hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, all with a density of less than 100 particles per cubic centimeter. Its outer radius is around 0.91 ly (0.28 pc) and it is expanding with velocities in the range of 27–39 km/s into the surrounding interstellar medium.

The 14th magnitude central star has passed an apex of its evolution so is condensing to form a white dwarf. It has 55% to 60% of solar mass, is 41 to 148 times solar luminosity (L_☉), and has an effective temperature of 123,000 K.

Also visible in this frame is Messier 108 (also known as NGC 3556) a barred spiral galaxy. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 or 1782. From any perspective from the Milky Way, this galaxy is seen almost edge-on.

This galaxy is an isolated member of the Ursa Major Cluster of galaxies in the local supercluster. It has a morphological classification of type SBbc in the de Vaucouleurs system, which means it is a barred spiral galaxy with somewhat loosely wound arms. The maximum angular size of the galaxy in the optical band is 11′.1 × 4′.6, and it is inclined 75° to the line of sight.

This galaxy has an estimated mass of 125 billion solar masses (M☉) and bears about 290 ± 80 globular clusters. Examination of the distribution of neutral hydrogen in this galaxy shows discrete shells of expanding gas extending for several kiloparsecs, known as H1 super shells. These may be driven by currents of dark matter, dust and gas contributing to large star formation, having caused supernovae explosions. Alternatively they may result from an in fall from the intergalactic medium or arise from radio jets.