{"id":57529,"date":"2024-04-11T07:01:40","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T07:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/36dd5eb8-e79f-4252-84eb-0e46be3c01bb"},"modified":"2024-04-11T07:08:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T07:08:27","slug":"the-pinwheel-the-sunflower-the-whirlpool-7-glorious-galaxies-to-observe-in-and-around-ursa-major","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/the-pinwheel-the-sunflower-the-whirlpool-7-glorious-galaxies-to-observe-in-and-around-ursa-major\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pinwheel, the Sunflower, the Whirlpool – 7 glorious galaxies to observe in and around Ursa Major"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 11 April 2024 at 07:01 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Ursa Major is a great constellation and great area of the sky for observing galaxies, and this is certainly the case come springtime.<\/p>

Then, the great globe of the heavens rolls on and the brilliant star clusters and nebulae of winter are sinking in the west.<\/p>

Deep-sky observers turn their attention to the subtler marvels on the rise \u2013 the galaxies<\/a>.<\/p>

Hence, springtime is often referred to as ‘galaxy season<\/a>‘ by astronomers, such is the wealth of wonderful galactic beauties visible in the night sky.<\/p>

In the north, the Great Bear, Ursa Major<\/a>, and its neighbouring constellations, Canes Venatici<\/a> and Coma Berenices<\/a>, are riding high.<\/p>

Chart showing the location of galaxies in and around Ursa Major. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
**A word on light pollution<\/strong><\/h2>**No object in the sky is more harmed by light pollution<\/a> than galaxies. The first thing you learn about galaxy observing is: the darker the sky, the better.<\/p>
Many can be seen in suburban skies, but to see details, to observe anything in most galaxies other than their bright central regions, you\u2019ll need to get to the darkest location you can access.<\/p>
Whether your skies are bright or dark, however, there are tips that can help you.<\/p>
Being able to not just see galaxies, but *see them well<\/em>, requires learning a few tricks of the trade to deal with the challenges they present.<\/p>*
*We\u2019ll use these tips and tricks tonight as we wander from galaxy to galaxy.\u00a0<\/p>*
**Best telescope for observing galaxies<\/strong><\/h2>** $\"Larger$
Larger aperture Dobsonians are a great option for observing galaxies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Any telescope design can work well for observing galaxies, but the larger the lens or mirror, the better.<\/p>
Galaxies are the dimmest objects we view, and maximum light-gathering power is needed.<\/p>
You can see many galaxies in 3-inch telescopes, and I\u2019ve had some terrific views with 6- to 8-inch instruments.<\/p>
If you want to see detail in them, however, not just tick galaxies off an observing list, aperture is the key.<\/p>
In my experience, a 10-inch telescope is the place to start observing galaxies and 12 inches of aperture is better.<\/p>
Of course, you shouldn\u2019t buy one so large you\u2019ll be reluctant to use it frequently.<\/p>
How about a mount for observing galaxies? Unless you plan to do astrophotography<\/a>, there\u2019s no need to invest in an expensive and heavy equatorial mount.<\/p>
A simple unpowered Dobsonian altazimuth mount works fine.<\/p>
No, it won\u2019t track the stars, but it can be used to easily track by hand.<\/p>
Also, today some inexpensive Dobsonian telescopes do feature tracking and even computerised Go-To pointing.<\/p>
**7 galaxies in and around Ursa Major<\/strong><\/h2>****Whirlpool Galaxy<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"The$
The Whirlpool Galaxy by Kasra Karimi, Aylesbury, 18\u201319 April 2021. Equipment: ZWO ASI 6200MC camera, TS-Optics 130mm apo triplet, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount. Exposure: 75x 300\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Our first galaxy, **M51, the** **Whirlpool Galaxy<\/a><\/strong>, is not technically in Ursa Major, but is close to it, in the small constellation Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs.<\/p>**
**The galaxy lies only 3.6\u00b0 southwest of Alkaid, the star at the end of the Plough\u2019s handle.<\/p>**
**This is not a difficult object to find, even without the aid of computerised Go-To telescope pointing.\u00a0<\/p>**
The Whirlpool Galaxy is a face-on spiral galaxy, and that causes problems for the visual observer \u2013 its light is spread out across the eyepiece field, making it difficult to see no matter its magnitude.<\/p>
**Luckily, the Whirlpool is small enough at 9.8 x 7.8 arcminutes that its mag. 8.7 light is still fairly concentrated.\u00a0<\/p>**
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of the Whirlpool Galaxy. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
What will you see? With a 6-inch reflector from light-polluted suburban skies, I see two blobs, a big one and a small one, the small one being the irregular galaxy NGC 5195 that is interacting with the Whirlpool.<\/p>
As aperture goes up and the skies get darker, however, this galaxy begins to look like its photos.<\/p>
With a 12-inch reflector from a southwestern US desert, I can see abundant spiral structure, dark patches and a lane of pulled-off material, the \u2018bridge\u2019 connecting the Whirlpool and NGC 5195.\u00a0<\/p>
A tip to enhance the M51 experience to is protect your scope and eyes from ambient light.<\/p>
The light of nearby sources, like porch lights, does as much to harm your eyes\u2019 dark adaptation and spoil the view as the sky\u2019s overall light pollution<\/p>
**Sunflower Galaxy<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"The$
The Sunflower Galaxy by David Slack, Prudhoe, Northumberland, UK. Equipment: 8″ Celestron F5 Newtonian, SXV-H9 CCD, Canon 1100D DSLR, Sky Watcher HEQ5 pro mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Next, we\u2019re going to move 5.7\u00b0 south-southwest to **M63, the** **Sunflower Galaxy<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>**
**Once the scope is trained on the proper field, you shouldn\u2019t have to strain to see the Sunflower.<\/p>**
**It\u2019s small enough at 12.0 x 7.2 arcminutes that the light of this mag. 9.3 intermediate-inclination (half-way between edge-on and face-on to us) galaxy\u2019s light is concentrated.<\/p>**
**The question is, can you see the sunflower?<\/p>**
**From dark sites, even with smaller instruments, M63\u2019s dusty, patchy spiral arms make it look a little like a ghostly flower.<\/p>**
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of the Sunflower Galaxy. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
What can make it difficult to see M63\u2019s arms?<\/p>
Something I\u2019ve often observed is that most amateur astronomers use too little magnification rather than too much.<\/p>
Don\u2019t be afraid to pump up the power to 150\u2013200x.<\/p>
Doing so spreads out the background light pollution in the field, increases contrast and maybe brings hints of the arms, even in compromised skies.<\/p>
I have been able to see the arms of the Sunflower without much trouble in the suburbs, using a 10-inch instrument at higher powers.\u00a0<\/p>
**M106<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"M106$
M106 by Mark Shelton, Marston Green, 25-28 February 2019Equipment: Moravian G3 16200 CCD camera, Celestron C14 Schmidt-Cassegrain, Paramount MX mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
From the Sunflower, still remaining in Canes Venatici, we make another leap in the dark, 11.4\u00b0 northwest to **M106<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>**
**It\u2019s a galaxy that looks great in almost any scope in any skies.<\/p>**
**At mag. 9.1, the light of this 16.6 x 6.3-arcminute galaxy is more spread out than M63, thanks to its closer-to-face-on orientation, but it is still bright as galaxies go.<\/p>**
**Seeing it is not the problem. The challenge is seeing dark detail in its nebulous disc and the star lanes near its nucleus.<\/p>**
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of Galaxy M106. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
How do you get a better view of this one?<\/p>
Human eyesight evolved to make moving objects easier to see than stationary ones: tap the tube of the scope until it jiggles a little and you may find more details popping into view.<\/p>
This is one time when a rock-solid mounting isn\u2019t a good thing.\u00a0<\/p>
We\u2019ll take one last glimpse of this big galaxy and then leave M106 and Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs, behind.<\/p>
**Black Eye Galaxy<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"M64.$
Credit: Klauser Franz \/ CCDGuide.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Next we’ll move a full 26.8\u00b0 southeast to the neighbouring constellation Coma Berenices and **M64, the** **Black Eye Galaxy<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>**
**You\u2019ll know you are in the proper spot when you see a dimly glowing (mag. 9.3), intermediate-inclination, 10.0 x 5.0-arcminute oval of light.<\/p>**
**If that were all there were to see, it would be quickly checked off the observing list and we\u2019d be on our way.<\/p>**
**But it\u2019s not; there\u2019s something remarkable here.\u00a0<\/p>**
**This object is called the Black Eye because of an enormous spot of dark dust lying just outside its nucleus, a patch about 3 arcminutes across.<\/p>**
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of the Black Eye Galaxy. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
While not easy in heavy light pollution, the spot is detectable with an 8- to 10-inch telescope in suburban skies \u2013 if you know how to see it.\u00a0<\/p>
The \u2018how\u2019 is averted vision<\/a>. The human eye has two types of sensors, the colour-sensitive conesnear the centre of the retina and the dim-light-sensitive rods at its periphery.<\/p>
To see the faintest details, don\u2019t look straight at M64, look off to its side.<\/p>
With averted vision, the Black Eye and its spot may be easy as well as impressive.<\/p>
**Bode’s Galaxy and Cigar Galaxy<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"Bode's$
Bode’s and Cigar Galaxies by Martin Bradley, Chesterfield, UK. Equipment: Tak FSQ 106 with 0.73 reducer, QSI 532 wsg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The hours are passing and the Bear is climbing higher.<\/p>
And that is where we are going, to Ursa Major itself, for two of its most famous galaxies, M81, Bode\u2019s Galaxy<\/strong> and **M82, the Cigar Galaxy<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>**
**This is our longest star-hop of the evening, a full 55\u02da to the north-northwest to the seldom visited northwestern area of the Bear.<\/p>**
**Well, it would be seldom visited if not for the presence of two of the most spectacular galaxies in the northern sky.\u00a0<\/p>**
**$\"Bode's$** Bode’s Galaxy Mark Hellaby, Salford, Greater Manchester, December 2022\u2013January 2023 Equipment: ZWO 294mm camera, 14-inch Ritchey Chretien, Sky-Watcher EQ8 mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>
M81 is our first stop. From a dark site, what is visible of this mag. 7.1 spiral is a bright core wrapped in a large 21.9 x 5.8-arcminute envelope of nebulosity.<\/p>
This is often all that can be seen, even in large instruments.<\/p>
From pristine sites, however, 12-inch and larger scopes reveal two delicate spiral arms.<\/p>
Maybe you\u2019ve heard the phrase \u2018baby\u2019s breath on a mirror\u2019 used when describing faint nebulosity. It is certainly apt when talking about M81\u2019s arms.\u00a0<\/p>
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A mere 0.6\u02da north of M81 is a galaxy that I consider even more spectacular: M82.<\/p>
It\u2019s a near-edge-on irregular galaxy that looks as if something bad has happened to it.<\/p>
The 9.3 x 4.4-arcminute mag. 9.0 disc is crisscrossed by dark and bright lanes, giving it a disrupted appearance.<\/p>
It is believed this was caused by a close encounter with M81 in the distant past.<\/p>
$\"Cigar$
Cigar Galaxy by Pat Rodgers, Huddersfield, UK. Equipment: SW200p, Atik 314L , AZ EQ6-GT, SW ST80, ZWO ASI130mm, Baader ccd LRGB filters, Baader 7.5nm Ha filter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
When she was young, my daughter called M82 \u2018the Exploding Cigar Galaxy\u2019, and it certainly looks it.\u00a0<\/p>
Observing tips for the pair? Use a wide range of magnifications.<\/p>
I enjoy using an ultra-widefield eyepiece that delivers enough power to show details in both, and a field wide enough to contain the two.<\/p>
A favourite with my old 12-inch Dobsonian was a 12mm, 82\u02da apparent field eyepiece. Seeing M81 and M82 in one field from a dark site was breathtaking.<\/p>
**Pinwheel Galaxy<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"The$
The Pinwheel Galaxy by Rouzbeh Bidishahri, Vancouver, Canada, 10 June 2021. Equipment: QHY268M camera, Planewave CDK12.5 astrograph, Astro-Physics 1100 GTO mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Let\u2019s end the tour of Ursa Major galaxies on a distinct challenge: **M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>**
**There is no question that this enormous face-on spiral is one of the most beautiful northern galaxies.<\/p>**
**Unfortunately, along with autumn\u2019s Phantom Galaxy, M101 is also one of the most challenging.<\/p>**
**But we\u2019ve got our bag of deep-sky observing tricks; let\u2019s try them on this marvel.<\/p>**
**The Pinwheel is 35\u02da east of M82, and is easy to find without a computerised mount since it forms an equilateral triangle with the Plough\u2019s two bright stars, Alkaid and Alcor<\/a>.<\/p>**
**Or it would be easy if it weren\u2019t so dim. As with all face-ons, it\u2019s tough.<\/p>**
$\"Chart$
Chart showing the location of the Pinwheel Galaxy. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This 22.0 x 21.4-arcminute spiral galaxy nearly fills the field of a lower-power eyepiece and its bright integrated magnitude of 8.1 doesn\u2019t mean it is easy for the visual observer.\u00a0<\/p>
I have seen the galaxy as a faint brightening in the field of an 8-inch telescope from badly light-polluted suburban skies.<\/p>
From a dark site on an especially good evening, I\u2019ve observed the spiral arms without difficulty with an 8-inch.<\/p>
On a truly superior night in the mountains of West Virginia, I\u2019ve glimpsed the Pinwheel\u2019s arms with 10×50 binoculars.<\/p>
M101 isn\u2019t impossible, if you know how to observe it.\u00a0<\/p>
You should use all the tricks we\u2019ve mentioned, but two others really help.<\/p>
First is putting empty space around the galaxy. Use a widefield eyepiece to frame this big galaxy with dark sky and provide some contrast.<\/p>
The other secret? For the Pinwheel, like other face-on galaxies, a good night means a dry as well as a dark one.<\/p>
Any moisture in the air makes M101 difficult or even impossible to observe.<\/p>
$\"M101$
M101 The Pinwheel Galaxy by Ian Russell, Sutton Courtenay, UK. Equipment: EdgeHD 1100 with Celestron x0.7 reducer, iOptron CEM60-EC, Atik 460ex, Atik OAG, IMG0H, PHD2<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>
It\u2019s definitely not dry where I am this evening, as I write this.<\/p>
Dew is falling and it\u2019s chilly and damp, and thoughts turn to a warm den and something hot to drink.<\/p>
Tonight, we only scratched the surface of the spring galaxies available to visual deep-sky observers<\/p>
Leo and, most of all, Virgo with her great galaxy fields beckon.<\/p>
But they will be there another night, and so will we, standing on the shore of a great, dark ocean, hunting bright treasures.\u00a0<\/p>
***What are your favourite galaxies to observe, near Ursa Major or otherwise? Share your thoughts and images with us via*** ***contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n***
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