Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  Bode's nebulae  ·  M 81  ·  M 82  ·  NGC 3031  ·  NGC 3034  ·  NGC 3077
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M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, greenbbs
M81 and M82 in Ursa Major
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M81 and M82 in Ursa Major

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M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, greenbbs
M81 and M82 in Ursa Major
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M81 and M82 in Ursa Major

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Description

M81 is a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) that was first discovered in 1774, and is known as "Bode's Nebula" or "Bode's Galaxy", after the man who discovered it. It lives about 12 million light years from Earth! It is the largest galaxy in a group of about 34 other galaxies in the same region of the sky, including M82, or the Cigar Galaxy (to the left), and NGC3077 (the other fuzzy blob). In the northern hemisphere, it is visible year round, between Polaris and Dubhe.

M82 is a starburst galaxy, seen edge on, and lives about the same distance from Earth as M81.

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M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, greenbbs