The Surfboard Galaxy - Messier 108
Taken by Tom Wildoner on March 9, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2026:03:17 19:36:47
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Details:
Messier 108 (M108 or NGC3556), popularly known as the Surfboard Galaxy, is a barred spiral galaxy located approximately 46 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Viewed from Earth at a steep 75-degree angle, it appears as an elongated, mottled streak of light, which earned it its distinctive nickname. Unlike many other spiral galaxies, M108 lacks a prominent central bulge, appearing instead as a "dusty" and detail-rich disk filled with dark dust lanes, young star clusters, and pink nebulous regions. It is a highly active galaxy, home to a supermassive black hole at its core with a mass roughly 24 million times that of the Sun. Astronomers have observed several supernovae within the galaxy over the past few decades, including notable events in 1969, 2016, 2023, and 2025.
🔭 Technical Details:
Telescope: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT with Antares Focal Reducer
Camera: ZWO ASI071MC (cooled to -10°F) BIN2
Mount: Celestron CGX-L pier mounted
Capture: 2 hours total exposure (60s subs) via ASIAir Pro
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: PixInsight & DeepSkyStacker
Image Date: March 9, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
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