Galaxy Season Favorites: Bode’s and the Cigar Galaxy
This image features M81 (Bode’s Galaxy) and M82 (the Cigar Galaxy), a galactic duo located in the constellation Ursa Major. M81 is a grand design spiral galaxy situated approximately 11.8 million light-years away, while M82, a starburst galaxy undergoing intense star formation, lies slightly closer at about 11.4 million light-years, according to GAIA data. These two galaxies are gravitationally interacting and are a favorite target for astrophotographers during spring nights in the Northern Hemisphere.
The image was taken with my Explore Scientific ED80 CF apochromatic refractor and a ZWO ASI533MC PRO camera cooled to -10 °C, mounted on the Juwei17. Despite some initial hiccups with NINA settings that limited total integration to just 40 minutes (8×180s + 8×120s), guiding held steady below 0.6″ throughout the session, thanks to PHD2 and a ZWO ASI224MC guiding camera on an Orion Deluxe Mini 50mm Guide Scope.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the guiding graph – it was one of the smoothest I’ve ever had!
I acquired the images with a Mele Quieter 4C mini PC, the latest addition to my astro-imaging arsenal.
As usual, I processed the images with PixInsight, BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, and GIMP. Calibration frames included 20 darks, 10 flats, and 100 bias.
Despite the short integration time, the image reveals impressive contrast and structure -highlighting the elegant spiral arms of M81 and the chaotic, energetic core of M82. I especially love how the faint jets of material bursting from M82’s core are visible – evidence of the intense starburst activity taking place there.
In this image a closer view of the Cigar Galaxy (M82), in Ursa Major.
