Bode’s Galaxy
RA 9h 54m · Dec +69° 31′
5′

A grand-design spiral with a well-defined core and two sweeping arms — often considered one of the most photogenic galaxies in the sky. Forms a celebrated pair with M82; both fit in a wide-field frame and the interaction between them is evident in the interlocking tidal debris.

Galaxy

Bode’s Galaxy

M 81 · Ursa Major
These photons are ~11.7 million years old
LPBroadband light-pollution filter. Suppresses the sodium and mercury glow of streetlights while passing the main nebula emission lines and natural star colours.ZWO Seestar S50ZWO Seestar S50Aperture 50mm · Focal length 250mm · f/5 · Apo triplet with ED element · Sony IMX462 colour CMOS sensor (1920 x 1080, 2.1MP)…View equipment →
⧉ 4 versions of this capture — pick one to see its image and log
Date
16/09/2025
Location
36.3858° N, 28.0411° E
Integration
0m (1 × 10s)
Software
ZWO Seestar app
Notes
·
Moon
🌘Waning crescent, 35% lit
Plate solve
Centre RA
9h 54m 04.5s
Centre Dec
+69° 30′ 54″
Field
42.7′ × 76.2′
Pixel scale
1.19″/px
Orientation
-163.6° E of N
Hemisphere
Northern
Also in this frame
M82M81

Catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, nearest the centre first. Highlighted names have their own photo here.

TelescopeZWO Seestar S50
CameraZWO Seestar S50 Camera
RigFamily Holiday Rig

Where to find it

Finder chart
+68°50′+69°+69°10′+69°20′+69°30′+69°40′+69°50′+70°+70°10′9h49m9h49m9h50m9h51m9h51m9h52m9h53m9h53m9h54m9h55m9h55m9h56m9h57m9h57m9h58m9h59m9h59mM 81M 82NE42.7′ x 76.2′5′

Star field and catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, oriented to the solve. Fully offline, from the bundled star and deep-sky catalogues.

Interactive sky chart centred on 9 54 04.5 +69 30 54. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, click a star or object to identify it. Zoom in to the plate-solved field for the DSS survey photo; zoom out for constellation figures and neighbouring catalogue objects. Fully self-hosted: the star and deep-sky catalogues and the survey image are all served from this site, so nothing external loads. Imagery: DSS2 colour (STScI / POSS-II). Constellation figures © Dominic Ford (GPLv3).

Captured from · Ρόδος (Rhodes)
36.3858° N, 28.0411° E · view on OpenStreetMap ↗ · Place data © GeoNames (CC BY)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of object is M 81?
M 81 is a galaxy.
Which constellation is M 81 in?
M 81 lies in the constellation Ursa Major.
How far away is M 81?
The light in this image left M 81 roughly ~11.7 million years ago, so that is how far back in time you are seeing it.
What are the coordinates of M 81?
M 81 sits at right ascension 09h 54m 05s and declination +69° 30′ 54″ (J2000).
When is the best time to photograph M 81?
M 81 is circumpolar from around 36°N - it never sets, and rides highest (about 57° altitude) on evenings around February.
What else is in this frame?
The plate-solved field also contains M82.
What equipment was used to photograph M 81?
This image of M 81 was captured with ZWO Seestar S50 and ZWO Seestar S50 Camera.
How much exposure time went into this image?
This image of M 81 represents 0m (1 × 10s) + 0m (1 x 10s) of total integration time.

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