Messier 81 and 82
Discovered by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in 1774, M81 is one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky. It is located 11.6 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major and has an apparent magnitude of 6.9 (by science.nasa.gov).
Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional astronomers. The galaxy’s large size and relatively high brightness also makes it a popular target for amateur astronomers (Wiki).
Image above consists of more than 12 hours of total exposure time through Bader CMOS optimized UV IR cut filter.
Last Update: May 4, 2025
