Galaxy
Bode's Galaxy
Also M81 · NGC 3031
A bright grand-design spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, paired with the Cigar Galaxy.
Measured
- Distance
- about 12 million light-years (published estimates 11.8 million–12.2 million)
- Size
- about 96,000 light-years across (approximate)
- Constellation
- Ursa Major
- Position (J2000)
- RA 9h 55m 33s, Dec +69.07°
- Its central black hole
- about 70 million Suns; its shadow 1.07 billion km across
How far, from the Sun
About 12 million light-years. To cross it:
- Light12 million years
- Voyager 1's speed213 billion years
- Driving at 100 km/h129 trillion years
Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.
Facts
- Its gravity has stirred up its neighbour M82, triggering a burst of star formation.
- Its central black hole is about 70 million times the Sun's mass.
How it was found
- Johann Elert Bode discovered it in 1774.
Where this comes from
- NED mean of published distances (3.675 Mpc)
Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.