Sh2-261 or Lower's Nebula is a Ha emission nebula in the upper part of the constellation Orion (from Orion's point of view, in his right hand) near Xi Orionis. This nebula was discovered rather late, in 1939 by Harold Lower and his son Charles, in a photograph. The picture was taken at that time with a homemade 8" Schmidt camera. This nebula is about 3,260 light years away from us, has a size of about 13.1 parsecs and shines with an apparent surface brightness of about 10 mag. Above the quite bright star HD 41997 (8.4 mag) in the centre of Sh2-261, a small reflection nebula stands out.
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