M108 and M109 off of UMa's big dipper asterim are showcase objects for which one can practice star hoping via bright locator stars using binos from a urban light polluted observing point. M108 and M109 Finder Chart http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3265 M108 and M109 are part of the much more distant Ursa Major Galaxy Group: 3D Plot of Ursa Major Group http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3262 Color coding - Red Ursa Major Cloud Red - light Ursa Major Southern Spur Green - dark Canes Venatici - Camelopardalis Cloud Green - light Canes Venatici Spur Purple Cetus - Aries Cloud Teal Virgo-Libra Cloud Yellow - dark Pegasus Cloud Yellow - light Pegasus Spur and Perseus Cloud Black Not coded in this view For M108, start from bet UMa (Mirak). Using binos under a light polluted urban sky, I can just make out the wing-v asterism anchored by SAO27952. From an urban site using binos, 7.2v SAO27907 - which is closer to Mirak is just visible. With these markers, telescopically center on the celestial north end of the wing-v asterism - SAO27957 v7.5. Placing SAO27957 in one side of your 1 degree telescopic eyepiece TFOV should put M108 on the opposite side of the eyepiece. For M109, start from gam UMa (Phad). One deg off Phad is a triangle asterism consisting of SAO28197, SAO28203 and SAO28210. From an urban light polluted location using binos, this triangle asterism is an averted object or not visible. The asterism is about one deg in diameter and M109 is within the asterism. - Clear Skies Kurt