Galaxies - Other galaxies around Ursa Major

NGC 4631 in Canes Venatici
Magnitude 9.8 - 7.5' x 4.4' - class SBbc

2007 April 15 (Denmark) - C8 at f/6.3 - SXV-H9
RGB = 16:16:20 min guided

This huge spiral galaxy is sometimes nicknamed the Heering Galaxy or the Whale Galaxy. It has been disturbed by its small companion NGC 4627.

M109 in Ursa Major
Magnitude 9.8 - 7.5' x 4.4' - class SBbc

2007 April 17 (Denmark) - C8 at f/6.3 - SXV-H9
RGB = 16:12:12 min guided

This barred spiral forms part of the loose "Ursa Major Cluster" at a distance of about 55 Mly. It is easy to find this galaxy as it is located just 38 arcminutes east-southeast of gamma UMa (Phecda).

M108 in Canes Venatici
Magnitude 9.9 - Size 8,6' x 2,4' - class Sc

L: 2007 April 13 (Denmark) / RGB: 2005 March 30 (NL) - C8 at f/6.3 - SXV-H9
LRGB = 60:20:18:20 min guided

Almost edge-on galaxy in Ursa Major. Located less than one degree from planetary nebuala M97.
During processing of this new image I discovered some long forgotten colour exposures hiding on my harddisk. Hence, here is M108 in colour.

Full resolution image

M106 in Canes Venatici
Magnitude 9.1 - Size 17.4' x 6.6' - class. SBbc

2005 May 02 - C8 at f/6.3 - SXV-H9
L = 27 x 120 sec guided

Big bright and slightly unusual galaxy south of the Big Dipper

IC 342 in Camelopardalis
Mag 8.4 - surf. br. 14.9 - size 21.4' x 20.9' - class SBc

2003 Dec 22 (Vrigsted, DK) - C8 @ f/6.3 - SXV-H9
L = 55 min

Big, but very faint galaxy and very difficult to see visually. It is relatively nearby at a distance of only about 10 million light years. It is one of the two major galaxies in the IC 342/Maffei 1 Group of galaxies, one of the nearest groups to our own Local Group. IC 342 is faint because it is strongly obscured by dust in our own Milky Way, otherwise it would have been much brighter. The other dominant galaxy in this group, Maffei 1 that is located in Cassiopeia, is even more hidden by galactic dust clouds and was only discovered in 1968. This image would be impossible to make at home due to the extreme faintness of the object. In the dark sky in Denmark it still required nearly an hour of exposure.

NGC 2841 in Ursa Major
Mag 9.3 - Size 8.1' x 3.5' - Sb

13 Apr 2004 (Denmark) - C8 at f/6.3 - SXV-H9
L = 35 min

Very fine spiral galaxy.

NGC 3953 in Ursa Major
Magnitude 9.8 - Size 6.9' x 3.6' - SBbc

13 May 2002 (Puimichel) - C8 at f/6.3 - MX516
L = 28 min

This multiarm spiral galaxy is said to be very similar to the appearance of our own Milkyway if we could see it from above the Milkyway plane. NGC 3953 was the host of supernova 2001dp which happened to be the first supernova that I recorded by CCD camera. Image.