Bodes Galaxy Messier 81 in Ursa Major
Taken by Tom Wildoner on April 9, 2026 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2026:07:26 17:26:15
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Details:
Messier 81 (M81), also known as Bode's Galaxy, is a magnificent grand-design spiral galaxy located approximately 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It is celebrated as one of the brightest and most beautiful galaxies in the northern sky, featuring an incredibly luminous core and two remarkably well-defined, sweeping spiral arms that are heavily loaded with cosmic dust and active star-forming regions. M81 is the dominant member of the M81 Group and shares a dynamic, gravitationally volatile neighborhood with its nearby companion, the starburst galaxy M82; ancient tidal interactions between the two have stripped gas filaments and triggered intense bursts of stellar birth across both systems. Because of its high surface brightness, massive structural scale, and favorable inclination relative to Earth, M81 is a quintessential centerpiece for deep-sky astrophotography and a perfect target for wide-field imaging.
🔠Technical Details:
Telescope: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC BIN1
Mount: EQ6R Mount
Capture: 188 x 60 seconds
Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA (Bortle 4)
Processing: DSS and PixInsight
Image Date: April 9, 2026.
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
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