Click on image below for full size version

 

The M81-M82 region.

'Bode's Galaxy' and the 'Cigar Galaxy'

This is a 2 pane mosaic composed of data from 3 cameras and 3 telescopes taken over 2 years.

Luminance data was captured with a TMB152 and Starlight Xpress H16, colour for each galaxy -TMB 152 and Atik 16HR, starfield colour -William Optics ZS80FD and Atik 16HR, and high resolution colour for the cores of the galaxies-14 inch LX200 and Atik 16HRC.

Imaged over late December 2009 & January & February 2010 with additional LX200 data from February 2008, and 8 hours more Ha captured in March in 30 minute subs binned 2x2 added to M82.

Total imaging time. 49 hours 17 minutes.

Distance is 12 million light years
Visual separation is 130,000 light years
Actual separation is 300,000 light years.