M97 the owl nebula Hoot hoot! (Swipe to see a barn owl I found) TheĀ Owl NebulaĀ (also known asĀ Messier 97,Ā M97Ā orĀ NGC 3587) is aĀ planetary nebulaĀ located approximately 2,030Ā light yearsĀ away in theĀ constellationĀ Ursa Major. The nebula is approximately 8,000 years old.Ā It is approximately circular in cross-section with a little visible internal structure. It was formed from the outflow of material from theĀ stellar windĀ of the centralĀ starĀ as it evolved along theĀ asymptotic giant branch. The nebula is arranged in three concentric shells, with the outermost shell being about 20ā30% larger than the inner shell.Ā The 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. I'd also like to add that if you love owls and haven't seen it then you should buy the documentary "owl power" on prime video. Well worth it! My son and I have watched it well over 300 times. Equipment: Gso rc6 with astrophysics ccdtv 67 spaced for .72x focal reduction, qhy polemaster, zwo asi290mm mini, zwo asi1600mm cool, zwo efw8 using 1.25" filters, hydrogwn alpha filter at 5nm and oxygen 3 filter at 3nm, stellardrive heq5, modified zwo off axis guider. Data: Hydrogen alpha: 75x5min (6hr 15min) Oxygen III: 77x5min (6hr 25min) Total integration: 12hr 40min Software: Sequence generator pro, phd2, eqmod, polemaster, stellarium, pixinsight, and light room. Most of the above mentioned gear (except stellardrive heq5) can be found at optcorp via my affiliate link http://bit.ly/32ahgqc #OPTeam #optcorp #asiweek #space #cosmos #owls #barnowl #nebulae https://www.instagram.com/p/CAOw0V7n7il/?igshid=emvszzt3b5id















