M108
Surfboard Galaxy
Barred Spiral
특성
위치 & 식별자
가시성
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M108 소개
설명
The Surfboard Galaxy is an edge-on barred spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, about 45 million light-years from Earth. It is seen nearly edge-on, presenting a mottled, elongated disk with no prominent central bulge — giving it an irregular, patchy appearance. The galaxy spans about 80,000 light-years and has numerous dark dust patches visible across its disk.
관측 팁
Located just 48 arcminutes southeast of the Owl Nebula (M97), near Merak (Beta Ursae Majoris). The pair of M97 and M108 fits nicely in a wide-field eyepiece — one of the most interesting deep-sky pairings. In a 4-inch telescope, M108 appears as a thin, elongated streak. An 8-inch reveals mottled texture with bright knots and dark patches along the disk. Best observed from February through June.
역사
Discovered by Pierre Mechain on February 19, 1781. Like M105-M110, it was added to the Messier catalog posthumously. The galaxy was identified as M108 by Owen Gingerich in 1953.
재미있는 사실
M108 is notable for its lack of a central bulge — unlike most spiral galaxies, its disk extends edge-to-edge without a pronounced nuclear region. This makes it look quite different from the typical spiral seen edge-on (like the Sombrero). The pairing with the Owl Nebula (M97) creates a wonderful contrast: a galaxy 45 million light-years away next to a planetary nebula only 2,000 light-years distant.
커뮤니티 사진 (1)
Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey. License: CC BY 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026