Bode's Galaxy (M81) & The Cigar Galaxy (M82)

• Telescope: Stellarvue SVA130T-IS (f/5 configuration)
• Optical Configuration: 0.72x Field Flattener & Reducer (f/5)
• Camera: Canon 60Da
• Single exposure
• Shutter Speed: 5 min.
• ISO: 800
• Processing: Photoshop CC
• Imaging Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains (Altitude: 8,600 ft.)

Bode’s Galaxy (M81), located to the upper right of center in the image, is a Seyfert galaxy approximately 12 million light-years from Earth. Seyfert galaxies make up only about 10% of all galaxies and are thought to contain a supermassive black hole at their centers, giving them a very bright Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN).

The Cigar Galaxy (M82), located to the lower left of center in the image, is a starburst galaxy, so-named because it is a hotbed of new star creation. M82 is also about 12 million light-years away and resembles a cigar with a red band, because we see it edge-on from our perspective. The red band is likely caused by hydrogen-alpha (H-alpha) radiant emission from hydrogen gas.

Both galaxies are part of the M81 system of galaxies grouped by mutual gravitational attraction.