A 100-Hour Stare into the Void: M81 & M82 🌌🐻

by Alessandro Motta

Objects in field: Bode's Galaxy, Cigar Galaxy, M 81, M 82, NGC 3031, NGC 3034, BOL 105, BOL 75, Dahlem 4, Dahlem 7, ES UMa, HOAG 1, HOAG 2, HOAG 3, M82 #4, MQ J095242.24+692156.4, MQ J095259.62+690745.1, MQ J095316.06+690002.1, MQ J095317.61+690642.9, MQ J095320.98+694609.7, MQ J095333.01+694024.1, MQ J095336.38+690542.3, MQ J095338.11+693457.3, MQ J095351.60+690249.3, MQ J095351.82+694029.0, MQ J095354.15+694453.9, MQ J095401.56+694051.8, MQ J095405.35+684927.1, MQ J095407.61+693113.7, MQ J095429.38+694506.3, MQ J095432.80+694817.4, MQ J095441.12+694337.4, MQ J095442.72+693533.4, MQ J095449.42+690444.6, MQ J095454.51+694558.8, MQ J095457.22+693357.4, MQ J095501.20+691444.8, MQ J095502.60+685900.3, MQ J095508.94+685723.1, MQ J095509.57+694320.9, MQ J095509.76+690407.6, MQ J095515.69+685428.4, MQ J095518.58+694446.1, MQ J095521.88+690637.6, MQ J095525.13+690113.3, MQ J095528.52+694443.8, MQ J095532.08+690037.9, MQ J095532.97+685811.9, MQ J095541.39+694231.4, MQ J095547.01+690551.1, MQ J095551.82+690739.4, MQ J095553.04+694338.7, MQ J095554.93+690056.1, MQ J095600.15+690531.1, MQ J095606.06+690833.2, MQ J095608.52+690102.9, MQ J095612.53+693804.3, MQ J095613.61+693753.5, MQ J095619.84+690113.4, MQ J095627.42+690109.8, MQ J095630.77+691525.1, MQ J095656.11+690908.6, MQ J095658.23+690046.3, MQ J095701.11+694240.5, MQ J095701.82+685652.8, MQ J095705.58+691853.3, MQ J095708.48+693027.1, MQ J095711.79+690444.2, MQ J095712.63+690140.6, MQ J095715.99+692949.9, MQ J095717.44+691530.8, MQ J095717.50+685828.1, MQ J095718.69+691730.4, MQ J095721.65+694512.7, MQ J095727.71+693602.8, MQ J095728.15+685427.9, MQ J095731.00+690233.3, MQ J095732.17+694603.6, MQ J095733.90+690844.1, MQ J095734.74+685600.8, MQ J095735.77+690007.0, MQ J095738.13+691254.9, MQ J095740.28+693042.6, MQ J095751.01+691334.1, MQ J095751.44+690332.1, MQ J095752.35+693915.2, MQ J095754.24+690210.6, MQ J095811.08+693844.4, MQ J095811.52+690026.5, MQ J095814.31+685427.3, MQ J095830.36+691635.0, MQ J095834.99+694113.0, MQ J095835.20+685842.4, MQ J095840.38+691614.5, MQ J095840.90+692845.6, MQ J095846.79+690124.4, MQ J095858.50+694323.2, MQ J095905.44+691040.3, MQ J095926.09+685816.3, MQ J095929.73+690542.1, MQ J095939.96+693035.5, MQ J095959.38+690340.1, SDSS J095117.69+684632.8, SDSS J095220.59+691125.4, SDSS J095318.14+693433.4, SDSS J095324.14+694538.5, SDSS J095326.35+685806.0, SDSS J095333.93+685820.1, SDSS J095410.83+693438.4, SDSS J095439.23+691916.3, SDSS J095444.55+685611.8, SDSS J095458.64+691918.5, SDSS J095509.30+693549.4, SDSS J095543.00+693454.8, SDSS J095544.69+691003.6, SDSS J095609.16+691247.3, SDSS J095636.42+690028.3, SDSS J095652.41+691041.3, SDSS J095658.51+692817.8, SDSS J095726.64+693847.5, SDSS J095730.46+684900.9, SDSS J095735.06+691614.9, SDSS J095747.33+693837.6, SDSS J095752.57+693227.6, SDSS J095800.26+685551.8, SDSS J095802.42+692306.6, SDSS J095812.07+690457.4, SDSS J095812.19+691449.4, SDSS J095814.46+684704.8, SDSS J095847.88+690532.7, SDSS J095857.57+693144.5, SDSS J095904.78+691235.2, SDSS J095927.34+690338.8, SDSS J095940.70+690514.6, SDSS J095947.15+691137.7, TYC4383-1099-1, TYC4383-150-1, TYC4383-2044-1, TYC4383-2050-1, TYC4383-298-1, TYC4383-326-1, TYC4383-338-1, TYC4383-583-1, TYC4383-698-1, TYC4383-738-1, TYC4383-848-1, TYC4383-848-2, TYC4383-860-1, WISEA J095127.89+692113.4, WISEA J095137.67+693959.6, WISEA J095222.17+690645.2, WISEA J095341.87+685917.5, WISEA J095345.92+684724.2, WISEA J095349.61+685241.2, WISEA J095357.31+690353.7, WISEA J095602.13+692150.7, WISEA J095651.53+690742.5, WISEA J095726.97+691334.9, WISEA J095753.24+685249.2, WISEA J095754.90+691134.6, WISEA J095836.85+690221.3, WISEA J095918.76+684955.1, WISEA J095928.76+685325.7, WISEA J095933.07+693916.0, WISEA J095949.92+690834.2

Equipment: StellaMira 90mm ED Triplet, ZWO ASI2600MM Pro

We often look at galaxies as islands floating in black emptiness. But if you look long enough—and I mean really long—you realize the "empty" space isn't empty at all. This image represents a marathon project: 100 hours of total exposure targeting the famous pair in Ursa Major: Messier 81 (Bode’s Galaxy) and Messier 82 (The Cigar Galaxy). 🔭 The Astronomer’s Perspective: This is a portrait of a…