M81, also known as Bode's Galaxy, is a striking spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, approximately 11.8 million light-years away from Earth. It is one of the brightest galaxies visible in the night sky and is a prominent member of the M81 Group, a small galaxy group that includes several other galaxies.

What sets M81 apart is its remarkable appearance and structure. It features grand spiral arms filled with young, hot stars, interspersed with dark dust lanes and glowing regions of star formation. At its center lies a supermassive black hole with a mass equivalent to approximately 70 million times that of the Sun. M81 is also notable for its interaction with its smaller neighbor, M82, which has led to the distortion of M81's outer spiral arms.

Studying M81 provides astronomers with valuable insights into the processes of galaxy formation and evolution. Its proximity to Earth and its clear, detailed structure make it an ideal target for observational studies aimed at understanding the dynamics of spiral galaxies and the role of interactions and mergers in shaping their properties.

Image Description and Details :

NGC 6752 is a globular cluster in the constellation Pavo. It is the fourth-brightest globular cluster in the sky (after Omega Centauri, 47 Tucanae and Messier 22). The cluster lies around 13,000 light-years distant and is one of the closer globular clusters to Earth and has been calculated to be 11.78 billion years old.Telescope 20" Cassegrain f/3 (1500 mm) Camera Moravian G2 8300 monoExposure RGB 4x2min each (total 24min) Software PixInsight Location IAS Hakos Farm, Namibia

Copyright: Herbert Walter

NGC 6811 is the cluster of weak stars in the left part of the image, though the bright stars in the upper right corner are more prominent.

Trumpler classification: IV 3 p
Stars: 70
Size: 13'
brightest Star: 9.9 mag

Telescope / Camera: LACERTA Newton 10"/f4 / Moravian G2 8300 mono
Exposure: L/R/G/B 4h 50min

Location: Inzersdorf im Kremstal / Austria

Copyright: Herbert Walter