The “eyes” of the Owl Nebula
The Owl Nebula (M97), an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium and other ionized gases formed roughly 6,000 years ago in the constellation Ursa Major, is regarded as one of the more complex of the planetaries. The object gets it name due to the appearance of owl-like “eyes” when view through a large telescope under dark sky conditions with the aid of a so-called “nebula filter.” The “eyes” are also easily visible through photographs taken of the nebula.
Source: The Daily Galaxy | See also: Gemini Observatory