There are two, bright fascinating galaxies only 3/4 of a degree apart. The first, M-81, appears as an oval nebulosity with a bright inner portion. The spiral arms are very faint. M-81 is often chosen as the "typical spiral" for photographs in textbooks and is relatively near the Milky Way.
M-82 is thought to be an exploding galaxy because of its radio emissions. Long exposures of this irregular galaxy show jets of hot hydrogen extruding from the core. In the telescope it is an intriguing curved splash of light shaped like a scimitar blade with an unusual lane of obscuring dust. Truly a celestial wonder.
| NGC: | 3031 | 3034 |
| OTHER NAMES: | M-81 | M-82 |
| CLASS: | spiral galaxy | irregular galaxy |
| SIZE: | 10' x 16' | 7' x 2' |
| MAGNITUDE: | +8 | +8.8 |
| POSITION: | 09h 54m +69d 12' | 09h 54m +69d 50' |
| CONSTELLATION: | Ursa Major | |
| DATE OF SKETCH: | 01/05/76 | |
| MAGNIFICATION USED: | 70x,140x | |
