Description:
M81, M82, and NGC 3077 form the M81 Group, a trio of interacting galaxies in Ursa Major, about 12 million light-years away.
M81 (Bode’s Galaxy) is a grand-design spiral galaxy, home to a supermassive black hole (~70 million solar masses). Its gravitational influence triggers star formation in nearby galaxies.
M82 (Cigar Galaxy) is an irregular starburst galaxy, experiencing intense star formation due to past interactions with M81. Powerful stellar winds and supernova explosions shape its structure.
NGC 3077 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy with irregular features, affected by tidal interactions. It has active star-forming regions fueled by stripped gas.
Description:
I added 14 hours of luminance imaging (on 15 and 17 January 2025) of the M81 group of galaxies and high contrast shows evidence of diffuse clouds of cosmic dust that scatters and reflects light: The Integrated Flux Nebulae (IFN).
The Integrated Flux Nebulae (IFN) are faint, high-latitude interstellar clouds composed of gas and dust, illuminated by the combined light of the Milky Way rather than individual stars. Unlike traditional nebulae, they do not emit or strongly reflect light but instead scatter the galaxy's diffuse glow.
Discovered through deep-sky astrophotography, IFN structures appear as wispy, cloud-like filaments and are best observed using long-exposure imaging. They provide insights into the interstellar medium, galactic structure, and cosmic dust distribution, making them important for both astronomy and astrophotography.
