This is an image taken of Messier 81, a grand design spiral galaxy in Ursa Major. Also know as Bode’s Galaxy, this is one of the most impressive spiral galaxies in the sky. This island universe lies 12 million light years away from earth, so when we view it in the telescope, we are looking back in time 12 million years. That’s how long the light has been traveling to reach our eyes.
Image Info
Canon 60D at the prime focus of the KPO 18″ Reflector. 44 frames of 120 seconds each, yielding a total exposure of 88 minutes. Captured & stacked in Nebulosity, processed in StarTools, then finished in Aperture.
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