Astr112 Photography Projects, Spring 2006

M109, Justin Adema

M109 is a beautiful barred spiral galaxy found in the constellation Ursa Minor. The galaxy in about 55 million light years away but can be seen with just a pair of binoculars. However, without a good telescope M109 appears as a hazy spot situated 40' SE of the mage 2.44 star. It was first discovered in 1781 by Pierre Méchain, and it was given the number 109 in 1953 by Owen Gingerich.

This spiral galaxy has a relatively low brightness, registering at 9.8. It is 7.7' x 4.7' big when looking at it from Earth. The colors of M109 are also beautiful. There are shades of purple, blue, and red all mixed in together. the bar is very bright and the spirals wrap tightly around the galaxy. M109 is one of the most beautiful galaxies and clearly shows the power and creativity of God.

References:
www.astrocruise.com

www.seds.org