Dennis Gorican: “M81 is a stunning spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major, about 12 million light-years from Earth.” Its bright, glowing core is surrounded by graceful spiral arms, which are rich in dust, gas, and young, hot blue stars. These stars are responsible for the galaxy’s bright, vibrant appearance and give M81 its characteristic “sparkling” appearance.
I gathered a few interesting facts about M81 galaxy:
- M81, also known as Bode’s Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located about 12 million light-years away from Earth.
- M81 is one of the brightest galaxies visible from Earth and is visible to the naked eye on a clear, dark night. It is often used as a target for amateur astronomers.
- M81 is part of a group of galaxies known as the M81 Group, which also includes the M82 galaxy and several smaller galaxies. These galaxies are gravitationally bound and are interacting with each other, which has resulted in spectacular bursts of star formation in M82.
- M81 is home to several billion stars, including many hot, young blue stars. These stars are located in the spiral arms of the galaxy, which are rich in dust and gas.
- M81 was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774 and was the first galaxy to be photographed, in 1845 by William Parsons.
- M81 has a supermassive black hole at its center, with a mass of about 70 million times that of the Sun.
A stunning spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major.
– Denis Gorican