Bode's Galaxy
Galaxy in Ursa Major · 11.8 million light-years
🔭 Explore Bode's Galaxy in the 3D map →View Bode's Galaxy images →| Type | Galaxy |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension | 9h 55m 33s |
| Declination | +69° 04′ |
| Object distance | 11.8 million light-years |
| Apparent magnitude | 6.9 |
| Apparent size | 21.6′ (arc-minutes) |
| Approx. true diameter | 74,142 light-years across |
| Also known as | M81 · NGC 3031 |
Although it appears about 21.6′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 74,142 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.
Observing Bode's Galaxy
Bode's Galaxy lies in the constellation Ursa Major and is best placed in the evening sky around February. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It sits far enough north to be circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes, and never rises for most of the southern hemisphere. It is a comfortable target for binoculars and small telescopes. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.
See Bode's Galaxy in Universe Finder
Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Bode's Galaxy and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →
Sources
- Position, magnitude and angular size from the OpenNGC catalogue (Mattia Verga).
- Object identity cross-referenced with SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg).
- Image credits and the original observation source are linked with each photograph.
Related objects
- Andromeda Galaxy — galaxy
- Triangulum Galaxy — galaxy
- Whirlpool Galaxy — galaxy
- Sombrero Galaxy — galaxy
- Messier 110 — galaxy