The Messier Ten Minute Challenge

M108 - Galaxy in Ursa Major

Click here for a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the Global Rent-A-Scope operation.

This image was created by median combining 7 x 90 second unfiltered images taken with a Takahashi Epsilon 250 with SBIG ST-8XE CCD. The image has been cut down to be 15 x 15 arc minutes in size.

Seen from a distance of 36 million light years M108 is a very small spiral galaxy - 5% of the mass of M31 - that is seen almost edge on to the observer. The mottled disk shows dark lanes, bright patches and superimposed stars.

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In collaboration with the Remote Astronomical Society Observatory

Martin Nicholson - Daventry, United Kingdom.

This page was last updated on April 15th 2009.