Messier 108 - Ursa Major

M108 - Galaxia de la tabla de Surf - en la IA

Messier 108 (M108), also known as the Surfboard Galaxy, is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. Here's a summary of key information about it:

Key Features and Characteristics:

• Type: Barred Spiral Galaxy (Type Sc)
• Location: Ursa Major (about 45 million light-years away)
• Discovery: Pierre Méchain in 1781
• Distance: Approximately 45 million light-years from Earth.
• Size: Roughly 87,000 light-years in diameter, which is slightly smaller than our Milky Way Galaxy.
• Appearance: Viewed nearly edge-on from our perspective, giving it a flattened, "surfboard" appearance. It shows a prominent disk with dark dust lanes and a bright, knotty structure with many H II regions (regions of ionized hydrogen gas where active star formation occurs).
• Star Formation: M108 exhibits a high rate of star formation, characterized by its numerous H II regions and relatively blue color.
• Central Supermassive Black Hole: M108 is thought to contain a supermassive black hole at its center, with an estimated mass of around 24 million times that of the Sun. This is determined by studying the motion of gas and stars in the galactic core.
• Companion Galaxies: M108 is part of the M81 Group of galaxies, a gravitationally bound group that also includes the famous Bode's Galaxy (M81) and Cigar Galaxy (M82). It interacts gravitationally with these and other galaxies in the group.

Observational Information:

• Magnitude: Around magnitude 10.0, making it a challenging object for small telescopes but readily visible with moderate to large amateur telescopes.
• Best Viewing: Best observed during the spring months when Ursa Major is high in the northern sky.
• Coordinates (J2000):
  • Right Ascension: 11h 11m 31.3s
  • Declination: +55° 40′ 31″
• What to Look For: Through a telescope, look for an elongated, hazy patch of light. Dark lanes and knots of star formation can be seen with larger apertures and good seeing conditions.

Significance:

• Studies of Galaxy Evolution: M108 is a valuable object for studying the structure, dynamics, and star formation processes within spiral galaxies.
• Black Hole Research: The supermassive black hole at its center is a subject of study for understanding the growth and activity of black holes in galactic nuclei.
• Galaxy Group Dynamics: Its membership in the M81 Group provides insight into the gravitational interactions and evolution of galaxies within groups.

Overall, Messier 108 is a fascinating and well-studied barred spiral galaxy that provides a window into the processes shaping galaxies in the universe.