Bode's 'Nebula' and Cigar Galaxy
M81 and M82 in Ursa Major
were discovered in 1774 by German astronomer Johann Elbert Bode. At 12,000,000 light-years distance, they are among the farthest Messier objects. A classic Sb spiral, M81 at left is one of the most beautiful galaxies in the heavens. Tiny bluish Holmberg IX, an irregular dwarf galaxy, appears at
11 o'clock above M81. M82, at right, is referred to as a Starburst Galaxy, its red jets emitting strongly in the infrared.
LARGE
were discovered in 1774 by German astronomer Johann Elbert Bode. At 12,000,000 light-years distance, they are among the farthest Messier objects. A classic Sb spiral, M81 at left is one of the most beautiful galaxies in the heavens. Tiny bluish Holmberg IX, an irregular dwarf galaxy, appears at
11 o'clock above M81. M82, at right, is referred to as a Starburst Galaxy, its red jets emitting strongly in the infrared.
LARGE