Observer's guide
About Owl Nebula
Owl Nebula (M97) is catalogued as a planetary nebula in Ursa Major. Its J2000 position is RA 11:14:47.71, Dec +55:01:08.5, corresponding to 168.6988 degrees RA and 55.019 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 2,600 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 3.33 by 3.33 arcminutes.
Observing tips
This is rated as a very hard target at magnitude 9.9. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around March. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 87 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is PN. A published radial velocity value is 0 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 357 bibliographic references.
At roughly 3.3 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 3.33 by 3.33 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.