Target guide · planetary nebula
M97 Owl Nebula with a smart telescope
M97 Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula about 3 arcminutes (0.05°) across, magnitude 11.2. It is highest around midnight in March, best placed for the northern hemisphere, and works from a suburb; a darker site gives a much cleaner result. It is larger than every native frame we track, or too small to fill one, so plan a mosaic or a crop.
Key facts
| Catalogue | M97 |
|---|---|
| Type | planetary nebula |
| Apparent size | 3′ × 3′ |
| Magnitude | 11.2 |
| Position (J2000) | RA 11.25 h, Dec 55.0° |
| Highest at midnight | March (±2 weeks) |
| Sky needed | Suburban sky |
In the best-matching frame
Imaging tips
This type glows in the specific colours of hydrogen and oxygen. If your smart telescope has a dual-band or light-pollution filter, use it: it blocks much of the city glow while letting the nebula through. Owl Nebula is a reasonable target from the suburbs.
Which smart telescope frames it best
| Telescope | Field of view | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Unistellar Odyssey | 0.75° × 0.56° | small in the frame |
| Unistellar Odyssey Pro | 0.75° × 0.56° | small in the frame |
| ZWO Seestar S50 | 1.29° × 0.73° | small in the frame |
| Celestron Origin Mark II | 1.32° × 0.75° | small in the frame |
| DWARFLAB DWARF mini | 2.13° × 1.2° | small in the frame |
| ZWO Seestar S30 | 2.14° × 1.21° | small in the frame |
| ZWO Seestar S50 Pro | 2.45° × 1.38° | small in the frame |
| Vaonis Vespera II | 2.5° × 1.4° | small in the frame |
| Vaonis Vespera 3 | 2.5° × 1.4° | small in the frame |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro 2 | 1.6° × 1.6° | small in the frame |
| DWARFLAB DWARF 3 | 2.93° × 1.65° | small in the frame |
| ZWO Seestar S30 Pro | 3.99° × 2.24° | small in the frame |
How high it gets from where you live
Highest altitude above a flat horizon. Below about 20° the image suffers from haze and light pollution; trees and roofs often block it completely.
| Latitude | Highest altitude |
|---|---|
| Oslo, 60° N | 85° |
| Amsterdam, 52° N | 87° |
| Madrid, 40° N | 75° |
| Miami, 26° N | 61° |
| Equator | 35° |
| Sydney, 34° S | 1° |
Nearby in the sky
Objects close to M97 in the sky, so you can image them in the same session.
Questions and answers
- Can I photograph M97 Owl Nebula from a city?
- It is possible: it works from a suburb; a darker site gives a much cleaner result.
- Which smart telescope is best for M97 Owl Nebula?
- None of the smart telescopes we track frames it well in one frame; plan a mosaic or a crop.
- When is the best time to photograph M97 Owl Nebula?
- It is highest around midnight in March and best placed for the northern hemisphere. From 52° north it climbs to about 87° at most.