M81 and M82

Field centered on R.A. 09h 56' & Dec. +69° 15'

In this picture, the galaxy on the left surrounded by blue spiral arms is M81. On the right marked by massive gas and dust clouds, is M82. These two mammoth galaxies have been locked in gravitational combat for the past billion years. The gravity from each galaxy dramatically affects the other during each hundred million-year pass. Last go-round, M82's gravity likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in the richness of M81's spiral arms. But M81 left M82 with violent star forming regions and colliding gas clouds so energetic the galaxy glows in X-rays. In a few billion years only one galaxy will remain (text adapted from APOD). This is a great couple of galaxies in the sky. Pretty large, they are an easy target for northern imagers since they can be seen for most of the year. (text adapted from APOD).

This is the reprocessing of my first attempt with an old white tube Visac in 2006, the collimation was a bit off and this effected the roundness of the stars. Here are available enlargement of respectively M81 and M82

 

Instrument:
CCD:
Exposition:
Filter:
Site:
Author:
Vixen VC200L @ f/9 (L=Ha) & TEC140 Apo 140/f7 + FF (RGB) + AP 900GTO SBIG STL 11K C2, binning 1x1, T=-20°C

L(180m) Ha (170m) Visac

RGB(50:40:70m) TEC

OPTEC LRGB

Gambugliano (VI) Italy

M.Lorenzi

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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