Alkaid (lower left, blue) and the Whirlpool spiral galaxy (M51, centre right). Alkaid forms part of the handle in the group of stars known as the Plough, or Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major. The Whirlpool galaxy lies around 37 million light years from Earth, in the constellation Canes Venatici. Covering both Alkaid and M51 is the faint dust from integrated flux nebulas (IFNs). IFNs are high galactic latitude nebulas outside of the Milky Way that are illuminated by the energy from the integrated flux of all the stars in the Milky Way. Image captured from Cumeada Observatory, Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, Portugal.