Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  24 UMa)  ·  Bode's Galaxy  ·  Cigar Galaxy  ·  M 81  ·  M 82  ·  NGC 2985  ·  NGC 3031  ·  NGC 3034  ·  The star 22 UMa  ·  The star 27 UMa  ·  The star Althiba VII (d UMa
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M81 IFN BW wide, Andrei Gusan
M81 IFN BW wide
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M81 IFN BW wide

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M81 IFN BW wide, Andrei Gusan
M81 IFN BW wide
Powered byPixInsight

M81 IFN BW wide

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Description

Most images of M81 and M82 will show the two galaxies, the surrounding stars and a few smaller galaxies here and there. But a deeper exposure will reveal that these galaxies appear wrapped in a thin nebulosity. This is the integrated flux nebula (IFN). A very very faint glow caused by the combined light of the stars of our home galaxy The Milky Way reflected and re-emitted by interstellar gas and dust.

The galaxies are not surrounded by this dust as dust is much closer to us than the galaxies - it just happens to look that way. Kind of like looking at the moon on a partially cloudy night.

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M81 IFN BW wide, Andrei Gusan