Image 1 of 1
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) is a bright, "grand design" spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, located approximately 11.6–12 million light-years from Earth. Discovered in 1774 by Johann Elert Bode, it is a popular target for astronomers due to its high brightness (mag 6.9) and well-defined spiral arms. M81 has a massive, elderly central bulge and a supermassive black hole 70 million times the sun's mass.