M81
Bodes Galaxy
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.
The galaxy’s central bulge contains much older, redder stars. It is significantly larger than the Milky Way’s bulge. A black hole of 70 million solar masses resides at the center of M81 and is about 15 times the mass of the Milky Way’s central black hole. Previous Hubble research showed that the size of the black hole in a galaxy’s nucleus is proportional to the mass of the galaxy’s bulge.
Key Characteristics
Appearance:
It features a bright, luminous core filled with older, redder stars and elegant, symmetrical spiral arms populated by hot, young, bluish stars.
Central Black Hole:
M81 hosts a supermassive black hole at its center with an estimated mass of 70 million solar masses, about 15 times more massive than the Milky Way’s central black hole.
Interaction with m82:
It is the largest member of the M81 Group and is famously gravitationally locked with the nearby Cigar Galaxy (M82). Their proximity triggers intense star formation in M82.
Size:
With a diameter of roughly 90,000 light-years, it is slightly smaller than the Milky Way.