Deep Sky Object in Spring
M81 & M82 (Galaxies in Ursa Major)

Click on image to enlarge

Date & Time: Dec 28 2019, from 24:34 to 26:33 JST(+0900)
Mosaic of 2 flames 10 shots composed with 6 minutes exposed
Optical: Meade 25cm(10") Schmidt-Cassegrain with conversion lens (f=1600mm, F6.3)
with BaaderPlanetarium Moon&Skyglow 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


M81 (NGC3031) / Galaxy, type SA(s)ab I-II
R.A.09h 55m 33.5s (2000.0)
Dec.+69° 04' 00" (2000.0)
Apparent Size27.0×14.1'
Radial Velocity+69km/s
Magnitude7.9
Distance17.9 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesM81 Group
Other IDsUGC5318, MCG12-10-10,
PGC28630
M82 (NGC3034) / Galaxy, type I0
R.A.09h 55m 54.0s (2000.0)
Dec.+69° 40' 57" (2000.0)
Apparent Size11.2×4.3'
Radial Velocity+323km/s
Magnitude8.8
Distance17.9 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesM81 Group
Other IDsUGC5322, MCG12-10-11,
PGC28655
This image presents two bright galaxies paralleling 35 arc minutes apart in north south direction just above the Big Bear's head. This pair float about 18 million light years away, can be recognized only with binoculars as two tiny light points. M81 (NGC3031) in lower is a superb spiral galaxy, and forms a splendid pair with M82 (NGC3034) in upper part of the image. M82 is not a spiral on edge, but is considered as spindle shaped.
The galaxy is rather mysterious; it's thought that an explosion about 1.5 million years ago made the odd shape, M82 is famous as "The Exploding Galaxy". It's known that those galaxies had drawn near some ten millions years ago. And it's considered that the gigantic gravitational interaction in that time made the activity in M82.

⇒ Topics: Supernova 2014J in M82
⇒ Display the spectral profile of M82 (in new window)



M64(Black-eye Galaxy)
M94

Copyright(c) 2020 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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