Bode’s Nebula - First Light

One knows he is looking for a downer when one decides to try Astrophotography for the first time. Just how big of a bummer, though? The first light is a series of pictures from the brightly lit skies of North Carolina (Bortle Scale 8) from a newly constructed Astrophotography rig.

M81 - Bode’s Nebula as seen from my rig

Messier 81 is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light years away with a diameter of 90,000 light years. Also known as NGC3031 in Ursa Major, it is one of the most conspicuous spiral galaxies visible to small telescopes and binoculars.

M81 - As seen from Hubble Space Telescope

The difference in clarity between Hubble Space Telescope and the one taken by an amateur rig is astounding. So astounding that I’m not going to throw in any more comparisons. Yes, HST’s picture may be great, but the one we took belongs to us.

M81 and M82 as seen through Bortle 8 night sky in North Carolina in 2022.

Imaging Telescope: RASA 8
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC
Mount: Celestron CGX GEM
Imaging Software: ASI Air Pro
Stacking: 20 x 60s
Filter: None