M81 - Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar

Bode’s Galaxy (M81) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, named after German astronomer Johann Elert Bode, who discovered it in 1774. At a distance of roughly 12 million light-years, it’s one of the brightest and best-studied galaxies in the northern sky. Its well-defined, symmetric spiral arms make it a favorite astrophotography target — together with its neighbor, the Cigar Galaxy M82, it forms a striking pair of interacting galaxies.