M 81 – Bode’s Galaxy
Description:
M 81 is a beautiful spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, right next to another well-known galaxy, M82 the Cigar Galaxy. The two are often photographed in duo with larger field telescopes. It is the same size as our Milky Way and is relatively close to us at 12 million light-years so it is easily observable.
It is part of a group of about forty galaxies located in the constellation Ursa Major. Its location relatively close to the celestial pole means that it can be observed most of the year.
Technical details:
Telescope: Celestron Edge HD14 and 0.7x focal reducer
Moun: Paramount MX+
Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 MM
Filters Baader LRGB – CMOS optimized
Exposures: 104 x 6 minutes in luminance and 15 x 2 minutes for each of the three colors, red, green, and blue.
Location: Backyard observatory in Sainte-Sophie, Qc
Date: March 2025
