M81 Series of Images


This series of images illustrates how observations throughout the electromagnetic spectrum can reveal different components of the stars, gas, and dust making up the luminous part of a galaxy. M81 is among the bearest and brightest spiral galaxies, visible even with large binoculars at dark sites. Recent results from the Hubble Space Telescope place its distance at 3.6 megaparsecs (11.7 million light-years). This is the brightest galaxy in one of the groups of galaxies nearest our own Local Group.

M81 True-Color

M81 in the Ultraviolet

M81 in X-rays

M81 in the far-infrared

M81 in the radio continuum


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