Deep Sky Object in Spring
M109 (Galaxy in Ursa Major)


Click on image to enlarge

Date & Time: Feb 21 2026, from 22:07 to 23:01 JST(+0900)
Composed 10 shots with 6 minutes exposed
Optical: Meade 25cm(10") Schmidt-Cassegrain with conversion lens (f=1600mm, F6.3)
with IDAS LPS-P1 Light-pollution suppression filter
Auto-guided with Meade LX200 Equatorial & Lacerta M-GEN
Digital Camera: Nikon D810A
Location: Ooizumi, Hokuto city, Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Recording Format...14bit CCD-RAW, converted to 16bit TIFF(4080×4080)
Device Size...20×20mm
Sensitivity...ISO4000, White Balance...Daylight



M109 (NGC3992) / Galaxy, type SB(rs)bc I
R.A.11h 57m 36.2s (2000.0)
Dec.+53° 22' 31" (2000.0)
Apparent Size7.7×4.7'
Radial Velocity+1229km/s
Magnitude10.6
Distance41 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesUrsa Major N Group
Other IDsUGC6937, MCG9-20-44,
PGC37617
M109 (NGC3992) is a small galaxy only 40 arc minutes SE of γ Ursae Majoris with second magnitude that marks one of the cup of Big Dipper. The galaxy has a size of about 8 arc minutes and a magnitude of only 10.6; it's one of the most indistinct objects in the Messier's Catalogue. Now, the major catalogue of celestial objects has 110 members. But M110 (one of satellite galaxies of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31) is unauthorized number; in short, it can be said that M109 is the "genuine" last object in Messier's.
You can detect the galaxy as a normal dimmed light with naked eyes through medium-sized telescopes. And the bar-like structures stretching from central bright region can be taken in long exposure photographs.




M108

NGC2273


Copyright(c) 2026 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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