Owl Nebula (M97) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Owl Nebula (M97) right now?

Owl Nebula (M97) is located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 28° toward the north-east, with an apparent magnitude of 9.90.
Twilight begins at 03:15 local time. At that moment, Owl Nebula (M97) will be 28° above the horizon toward the north-east.

Open the interactive guide to Owl Nebula (M97)’s position and path tonight

Owl Nebula (M97) visibility on 2026-10-05

Owl Nebula (M97) Visible all night

Owl Nebula (M97) rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Owl Nebula (M97) is always above the horizon
Owl Nebula (M97) transit	09:28	72°
Moonset	13:37	45°
Sunset	16:44	20°
Civil sunset	17:12	17°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:42	14°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:12	11°
Owl Nebula (M97) is always above the horizon
Moonrise, 34% illuminated	22:25	3°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:40	32°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:10	36°
Civil sunrise	04:40	40°
Sunrise	05:08	44°

Track Owl Nebula (M97) position throughout the night

← 5 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe Owl Nebula (M97) changing position in the night sky.

M97 - Owl Nebula

The Owl Nebula (M97) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M97 is known for its round shape and two dark patches that resemble the eyes of an owl.

M97 spans about 2.4 light-years across and contains a central white dwarf star surrounded by a shell of ionized gas. The nebula is approximately 2,030 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 9.9, making it visible with a small telescope.

Finder Chart for Owl Nebula (M97)

Open the step-by-step guide

Owl Nebula (M97) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Owl Nebula (M97)

Time	03:15
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	28°
Azimuth	41°

Here you can see the current position of Owl Nebula (M97) on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

When Is Owl Nebula (M97) Visible Throughout the Year?

Owl Nebula (M97) will remain visible until August 10, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Tue, 6 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:06
Astronomical observing session ends	03:34
Astronomical observing duration	9h 28m
Rise	M97 is always up
Set	M97 is always up
Elevation at transit	72°
Transit time	09:20
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 11h 14m 47s", Dec: 55° 01' 08s
Magnitude	10
Constellation	Ursa Major

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Owl Nebula (M97), including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also see when Owl Nebula (M97) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M97

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	11h 14m 48s
Declination	55° 01′ 09″
Magnitude	9.9
Constellation	Ursa Major
Elevation	28.5°
Azimuth	40.6°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

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