The Bode’s Nebula, M81, is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It is the largest galaxy in the M81 Group, a group of 34 galaxies located in the constellation Ursa Major.
Messier 82, to the right, also known as the Cigar Galaxy, is a starburst galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major and a member of the M81 Group. It is about five times more luminous than the whole Milky Way and has a center one hundred times more luminous than our galaxy’s center.
The image also shows the IFN (Intregrated Flux Nebula) between the galaxies!
Technical info:
TS 80mm f6 APO triplet refractor – Canon 40D – IDAS Light Pollution Filter LP2 –
Exposure: 72x 180sec and 28x 240sec – total (5hours 28min)