M81

Bode’s Galaxy is one of the easiest objects of its type to find with amateur telescopes due to its large bright core. Lying only about 12 million light-years from Earth, M81 is one of the closest of the large spirals. This object has caused major disruption in its smaller neighbor, M82, which is only about 150,000 light-years from its core. The two experienced a close encounter perhaps 30 million years ago. Called Bode’s Galaxy because it was discovered by Johann Elert Bode some 7 years before Charles Messier added it to his catalog in 1781. A supernova type II was seen in M81 on March 28, 1993.

Image taken January 4, 2013 with the C-14 operating at F:3.5 and the ST-8 camera binned 2 X 2. Exposure was 15 minutes using T & A. The camera was not cooled as the temperature in the dome was 12 degrees F.

Image taken May 17, 2007, at about 10:00 p.m. with the 402 camera. Exposure is 10 minutes, using track and accumulate of 20   30-second snaps.