Using a 5-inch refractor and a QSI Camera allowed me to nicely frame this pair of objects. In this image the “eyes” of the Owl Nebula (M 97), a planetary nebula, are clearly visible. The barred spiral galaxy Messier 108 is to the northwest of M 97.

Date: December 30, 2010
Constellation: Ursa Major
Location: Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria, BC
Optics: TeleVue NP-127is used at f/5.2
Mount: Paramount ME, guided using PhD
Camera: QSI 583c, cooled to -25 degrees Celsius
Exposure: 40 light frames of 180 seconds
Processing: Light frames calibrated with dark and flat frames in ImagesPlus. Light frames normalized and combined using MinMax Excluded.