This image is actually two different images separated down the center. On the left is M97 in Ursa Major (known for its Big Dipper asterism). This nebula is commonly referred to as the Owl Nebula. On the right is the Southern Owl Nebula, located in the constellation Hydra. They are each about 2 light years across, which means from Earth they have a 2' parallax. The different colors and definition of the star background is the result of using different methods of filtering and color mapping to create these images. The Owl Nebula is named such because the two dark spots suggest an owl's large round eyes staring back at the Earth. Both of these planetary nebulae are particularly intruiging because they appear to be almost perfectly round in shape.
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