Owl Nebula

space · nebula · star death · astronomy

Looks like an owl. The Owl Nebula gets its name because it has two dark patches that look like big owl eyes staring right at you. These dark spots are actually part of its special barrel-shaped inner structure.

Made by a dying star. A star created this nebula by throwing off its outer layers as it grew old and swelled up into a giant. The gas and dust kept expanding outward and now glows with beautiful colors.

Three rings of gas. The nebula has three concentric shells stacked like onion layers. The outermost shell is 20 to 30 percent bigger than the innermost one.

Ancient but young in space. The Owl Nebula is about 8,000 years old, which sounds ancient but is actually pretty young compared to most nebulae. It is located in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

Sits far, far away. You would need to travel 2,030 light years to reach it, which means the light we see from it today started traveling when humans were still in the Stone Age. Even with a telescope it looks like a tiny, faint cloud.