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On this page I collect my observations of the Bode galaxies M 81/82 in the constellation Ursa Major.
M 81 (Bode Galaxy) is the main galaxy of a galaxy group in Ursa Major / Great Bear, which also includes the M 82 galaxy (Cigar Galaxy) (sometimes both galaxies are called together Bode Galaxies; the were both discovered by Elert Bode). Only in a small telescope, the two can be observed together, because the viewing angle should, according to Stoyan, be at least 1.5° (I was able to observe both at once in 2019, see below). M 81 is a spiral galaxy, which is seen from above, whereas M 82 is an irregular galaxy, which is seen in edge position.
M 81 | M 82 | |
Size: 12' x 5' / 6' x 2' (Stoyan) Distance: 11 million light years (Stoyan) Rating: **** (Stoyan) |
Size: 12' x 5' / 6' x 2' (Stoyan) Distance: 11 million light years (Stoyan) Rating: **** (Stoyan) |
M 81 (Bode Galaxy) and M 82 (Cigar Galaxy) in Ursa Major (top left) (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)
M 81 (Bode Galaxy) and M 82 (Cigar Galaxy) in Ursa Major (more on the left side...) (Image Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)
The sketch by Michael Vlasov (DeepSkyWatch.com) provides a rough impression of what I observed (my impression was much fainter than the sketch): Sketch of the Bode galaxies by Michael Vlasov (Copyright © Michael Vlasov 2016)
Note: I only have the author's permission to link to the sketch.