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M81 and M82 in Ursa Major

To the left is Bode's Galaxy M81. M82 The Cigar is at right. They are relatively close together, about 150,000 light years. These two enormous neighbors have been locked in combat for the past billion years. Each galaxy's gravitational field dramatically affects the other during each pass. Tens of millions of years ago, M82 raised circulating density waves rippling around M81 resulting in the richness of M81's spiral arms. M81 rendered M82 a mess of exploded stars and colliding gas so violent it emits bright X-rays. In both galaxies colliding gas has created bright new stars. In a few billion years, only one galaxy will remain. M81 is the first of four objects originally discovered by Johann Elert Bode, who found it with M82 on December 31, 1774. Please note irregular galaxy NGC 3077 near the top left corner. Also just visible as a faint fuzzy is dwarf galaxy Holmberg IX above M81. Scanning the field will reveal a few more!