M81

Object: M81
Constellation: Ursa Major
Distance: 12 Million Light-Years
Magnitude: 6.9
Comments: M81 is a spiral galaxy in the same FOV as M82 through the eyepiece. The two galaxies must have gravitationally interacted about 200 million years ago, each distorting the other, M82 disturbed the most. M81 has a very bright nucleus, and spiral arms extend out far beyon that. For a more detailed description of M81, see Rob Gendler's essay HERE

Date: 2-17-2006
Place: Asheville, NC
Exposure Details: LRGB:160:60:60:60 at -30c, Lumincance unbinned; RGB binned 2
Processing: Processed using Registar, Maxlm, CCDSoft, and Photoshop CS

Optics: 12.5" RCOS Truss RC
Focal Length: 2908mm @ f9
Mount: Paramount ME
Camera: STL6303E
Focuser: RCOS
Guiding: Internal
Filters: Tru-Balance LRGB 2"