Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  Bode's nebulae  ·  M 81  ·  M 82  ·  NGC 3031  ·  NGC 3034
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M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB], Rathi Banerjee
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB]
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M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB]

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB], Rathi Banerjee
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB]
Powered byPixInsight

M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB]

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Description

Showing as the main features are the galaxies M81 (Bode's Galaxy - on the right) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy - on the left). Not only are they a magnificent photographic pairing, but are a splendid galactic pairing as well! The color image has been enhanced with L and Hydrogen-Alpha data.

Barely visible across the entire image is one of the more difficult gas structures to photograph, especially from suburban skies like mine -- the Integrated Flux Nebula. The IFN is a large area of gas present in higher galactic latitudes. However, rather than a product of nearby stars (as is the case for reflection and emission nebulae), the IFN is lit by the flux of all the stars in the Milky Way, making it a dim vestige that will quietly drop in on deep images of the region.

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    M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB], Rathi Banerjee
    Original
  • Final
    M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB], Rathi Banerjee
    B

B

Description: Reprocessed Cigar Galaxy to bring out the Ha data a little better. Also adjusted the weight of the Ha data overall to make the image a bit less "pink". Reduced noise.

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M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (The Cigar Galaxy) [HaLRGB], Rathi Banerjee