M-97 The Owl Nebula
Description: planetary nebula
This large planetary nebula is almost 3' in diameter, and appears as a gray puff of light, slightly brighter in the center. At times, especially with averted vision, the 'eyes' of the owl can be seen as two slightly darker spots. The Owl Nebula M97 is one of the fainter objects in Messier's catalog, discovered by Pierre Mechain