It’s time once again for another Where In The Universe Challenge. Test your visual knowledge of the cosmos by naming where in the Universe this image was taken and give yourself extra points if you can name the spacecraft responsible for this picture. Post your guesses in the comments section, and check back on later at this same post to find the answer. This week’s WITU challenge was submitted by UT reader Brad Jones — thanks Brad! To make this challenge fun for everyone, please don’t include links or extensive explanations with your answer. Good luck!
UPDATE: The answer has now been posted below.
This is an image of two galaxies — M81 and M82, and was taken from the ground by Markus Schopfer using an 8-inch SC-Telescope and a Digital SLR. See a larger version here.
M81 is a grand design spiral galaxy and pairs up with an irregular galaxy M82, sometimes called the “exploding Cigar.” They are actually separated by 150,000 light years. This galaxy group is the nearest galaxy group to our own local group of galaxies.
You can read a great post about M81 and M82 by Tammy Plotner here.
M81 & M82 galaxies in Ursa Major.
A view like this can be achieved with a small telescope + CCD, I would def bet it’s not taken by a spacecraft.
It’s shouting: I’m M 82, look at me! And there’s M 81, of course.
This is certainly an optical image, and the only spacecraft capable of imaging at the wavelength with such detail is the Hubble; but this is certainly not from the Hubble. So, for extra points — that’s a trick question!
Is this the work of Mr. Jones?
Just as everyone else said, M81 and M82.
Taken by Markus Schopger with an 8″in SCT and a DSLR.
Though he does have another image, exactly the same stating the details of a 4″in f/9 refractor. But due to the Diffraction spikes it doesn’t match either telescope profile.
Darn wikipedia! They really need to give credit to the photographer.
As this is my first entry I do hope this is not wrong of me to provide a link to the wikipedia photo I am talking about (The exact same photo as above):
(editor’s note: link removed — yes Elias, the instructions say provide no links!)
This looks like a well done amateur image of M 81 & M 82 in UMa. Decent color balance w-M 82, btw.
These are definitely Bode’s Nebula, M81/NGC3031 and the Cigar Galaxy M82/NGC3034. By total coincidence I was looking at these two last night, visible even with light pollution!
M81 and M82, as seen from the strange elliptical orbit of the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE).
Definitely M81 and M82, but even an amateur can take a picture as good, or better than, this.
Must have been taken on earth or somewhere nearby.
M81 and M82, very familiar through an 8″ scope.
LC
I agree with all of the above, we have had a similar image on our own website until recently.
Roseland Observatory.
We see M81 (Bode’s Galaxy) and M82 (Cigar Galaxy), for sure.
But the source was the question for me. The picture was taken on 28 May 2007 by Marcus Schopfer with a 8-inch SC-Telescope.
Nice exercise.
For another nice shot see Astronomy Today’s photo for today 3-24-2010!