Bode's Galaxy 2nd attempt a year later.Messier 81 (M81), also known as Bode’s Galaxy, is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the constellation
Ursa Major. The galaxy lies at an approximate distance of 11.8 million light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.94. It has the designation NGC 3031 in the New General Catalogue.
Messier 81 occupies an area of 26.9 by 14.1 arc minutes of apparent sky, which corresponds to a linear diameter of about 90,000 light years. It can easily be seen in binoculars, which only show a dim patch of light, and is best viewed in larger telescopes, which reveal details of the galaxy’s spiral structure. 3-inch telescopes show M81 as a hazy, bright oval-shaped patch of light, while 6-inch telescopes reveal the galaxy’s bright core surrounded by a faint halo.Bode’s Galaxy can be found about 10 degrees northwest of
Dubhe, Alpha Ursae Majoris. An imaginary line drawn from
Phecda, Gamma Ursae Majoris to
Dubhe and extended by roughly the same distance as that between the stars leads to M81.The best time of year to observe M81 is during the spring.
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