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M81


 

Object:

M81: Bode's Galaxy in Ursa Major

RA = 9 hrs 55 min; Dec = 69 deg 04 min.

Date & Site:

Imaged on 2/11/2015; Runningman Observatory, Carlsbad, CA

Conditions: calm; 60 degrees; good seeing and transparency

Equipment:

Telescope: Takahashi FSQ 106 (540mm at f/5)

Mount: Losmandy G-11 Gemini
Camera: ST-10XME; CFW10; 80mm refractor guidescope

Notes:

Exposures: 5 hrs (15 min subs) of Ha and 20 min each of RGB (5 min subs) for total of 6 hrs.

M81 is the largest among the M31 Group of 34 galaxies.

According to Wikipedia, astronomers have detected strong emissions at the infrared wavelength throughout M81. These emissions are actually from interstellar dust associated with star formation found in the spiral arms.   The young blue stars found in the galaxy’s spiral arms heat the surrounding dust enhancing infrared dust emissions.   This image captures these hot new scattered throughout the spiral arms.

FOV =72 x 48 arc minutes

12 million light years away

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