Template:POTD/2019-04-30
Messier 81, also known as Bode's Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It is about half the size of the Milky Way, with a diameter of 90,000 light years. Discovered by Johann Elert Bode on December 31, 1774, it has been studied extensively by astronomers due to its proximity, large size, and active galactic nucleus. Messier 81 can be viewed easily using binoculars and small telescopes, and under exceptional viewing conditions can be seen with the naked eye. The center of the galaxy has a supermassive black hole with around 70 million times the mass of the Sun.Photograph credit: Ken Crawford