M82 Cigar Galaxy is well object known to astronomy amateurs. If you are visual observer, then you most probably have already seen it. If you are astrophotographer, then you most probably have already pictured it. If you observed it at the beginning of 2014, then you probably noticed supernova in it. But this entry is not about M82 itself – but about distant galaxy clusters.

When you observe the sky far away from our galactic plane, there is not much of interstellar matter in the field of view. In this case you can reach and capture quite remote targets. During two clear nights in April 2019 I recorded about 400 minutes of frames in luminance channel of M82 Cigar Galaxy. After stacking all of them together I noticed some faint flocks at the frame edge. I have made a small investigation and they turned out to be distant galaxy clusters.

First one is located about 2600 million light years away http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%408444694&Name=XMMXCS%20J0953.7%2B6947
And second one is placed about 3000 million light years away http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%4010548357&Name=SDSS%20J095324.38%2B693648.7
M82 galaxy is for comparison about 12 million light years away.

There are not much information about these clusters available. Just a galaxy cluster, like many others in the Universe. Galaxies down to 22 magnitude were recorded at the image below.

Distant clusters around M82 Cigar Galaxy
Distant clusters around M82 Cigar Galaxy

Large version https://astrojolo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M82L_DBE.jpg

Clear skies!

Image technical data:

Date: 21-22.04.2019
Location: Nieborowice, Poland
Telescope: Meade ACF 10"
Corrector: AP CCDT67
Camera: QHY163M, gain 100
Mount: SW EQ6
Guiding: SW 80/400 + ASI290MM
Exposure: L 400x60 seconds
Conditions: suburban sky, seeing good, transparency good