Some targets are imaged often, but still manage to provide really nice results (like many iconic scenic locations here on Earth). M81 is certainly in that category, a large tilted grand spiral design galaxy.
I have now captured this 3 times; once as part of a well known composite with M82 (a fascinating galaxy in its own right), once on a trip to New Mexico dedicated to astrophotography, and then again now. The M81/M82 pair image has been one of my favorites, while the previous image of M81 by itself has been one of my least favorite, captured while dodging lots of clouds and exhibiting both tracking and focus issues. This version, captured from my remotely controlled gear located in southern AZ I think is a better result between the 2 higher magnification images.
The star forming regions seem to show up rather well with just RGB imaging, and I was also able to just start to bring out some of the very faint IFN (intergalactic flux nebula) that seems to be prevalent when looking out towards this direction in the night sky. The irregular patch positioned above the main galaxy is Holmberg IX, a dwarf irregular galaxy that is considered to be a companion galaxy of M81.
Some extra details about it from Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:Messier 81 (also known as
NGC 3031 or
Bode's Galaxy) is a
grand design spiral galaxy about
12 millionlight-years away in the
constellationUrsa Major. It has a
D25 isophotal diameter of 29.44
kiloparsecs (96,000
light-years).
[2][5] Because of its relative proximity to the
Milky Way galaxy, large size, and
active galactic nucleus (which harbors a 70 million
M☉[6]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.
[7] In late February 2022, astronomers reported that M81 may be the source of
FRB 20200120E, a repeating
fast radio burst.
[8][9]As always, comments and critiques most welcome, and thanks for looking!
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