M97 - The Owl Nebula

The Owl Nebula (also known as Messier 97, M97 or NGC 3587) is a planetary nebula located approximately 2,030 light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchainon February 16, 1781. When William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, observed the nebula in 1848, his hand-drawn illustration resembled an owl's head. It has been known as the Owl Nebula ever since. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The nebula is approximately 8,000 years old. It is approximately circular in cross-section with a little visible 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, with the outermost shell being about 20–30% larger than the inner shell. 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. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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• Image details:

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- RGB: 15x180"

- ISO: 1600

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30 darks, 30 flats and 100 bias

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Total exposure: 45min

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• Equipment: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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- Newton 200/1000 on EQ6R

- Canon EOS 6D (Baader BCF 2 Filter)

- CLS-CCD 2" Filter

- ZWO ASI120MC-S

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• Softwares: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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- Sharp Cap Pro (polar alignment)

- APT (capturing)

- PHD2 (guiding)

- PixInsight (stacking & processing)

Done