Object: Bode’s Galaxy, also known as M81, is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away, with a diameter of 90,000 light years, about half the size of the Milky Way, in the constellation Ursa Major. Due to its proximity to Earth, large size, and active galactic nucleus (which harbors a supermassive black hole), Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional astronomers. The galaxy’s large size and relatively high brightness also makes it a popular target for amateur astronomers.
Taken: March 31-April 1, 2020
Telescope: Astro-Tech 14” RC with 0.65x focal reducer
Mount: Paramount ME II unguided
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MC-Pro (cooled to -15C; gain 200/offset 50) Bin 1×1.
Focuser: Moonlite Nitecrawler
Rotator: Moonlite Nitecrawler
Filters used: Luminousity on a ZWO 8 position filter wheel
Exposures: 50×180 seconds for a total exposure time of 2.5 hours; calibrated with 40 dark frames, 40 flat frames with 40 dark-flats.
Seeing Conditions:
Processed with PixInsight and Photoshop CC 2019