Astronomy Magazine – Your source for the latest news on astronomy, observing events, space missions, and more.

Depth perception

Greg Meyer from Phoenix, Arizona

Messier objects M97 (bottom right) and M108 (top left) are similar in apparent brightness and size. But while M97 (also known as the Owl Nebula) is a planetary nebula lying just 2,600 light-years away, M108 is a galaxy 30 million light-years away. This Hα/OIII/RGB image represents 27 hours of exposure and a 5-inch scope.