M81

Date: 1/22/09
Time: 8:30pm - 9:18pm CST
Weather: Partly Cloudy - Wind 5-10mph - 20 degrees temp
Location: Port Barrington, IL
Ground Conditions: solid 10" of snow as ground cover

Both M81 and M82 are very prominent Galaxies in the Winter sky and both are found within several degrees from one another in Ursa Major. At Magnitude 8.5, M81 is also known as Bode's Galaxy and is considered a Spiral in classification. Despite a bright evening with snow on the ground, one can make out its fuzzy shape. Very near by is M82 (cataloged in a earlier entry), the cigar galaxy which is seen edge on. The combination of both objects quickly gives the viewer a look at a Galaxy edge on and face on within a 40mm eyepiece. Both are best seen individually using a 10mm eyepiece.

As mentioned before, Both galaxies are separated by 150,000 light years and tens of millions of years ago they passed close enough to each other that the more massive M81 warped the smaller neighbor causing star burst formation and a more irregular shape. M81 is considered one of the brightest galaxies in the Messier Catalog

On this evening I also viewed NGC 1342 before cloud cover postponed further observation. NGC 1342 is a open cluster - nothing terribly impressive, found in the constellation Perseus. At magnitude 6.70 it was easily found.

On this night, I introduced the "polar platform", a specially sourced plastic skid which I used as a platform of sorts in the snow covered confines of my back yard. With about 10" of snow on the ground, the skid served as a level telescope platform that kept my telescope and base out of the snow. Due to house and street light pollution as well as full snow cover, the seeing conditions were poor. Never the less, it was nice to get out and enjoy some fresh air after being couped up in the house for over two weeks with snow storms and sub zero conditions.