Bode's Galaxy is a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, 12 million light-years away
Bode's Galaxy (M81, NGC 3031, PGC 028630, UGC 05318) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major , 12 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 6.9 and spans 27′ × 14′ of sky, about 92,700 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in April.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding Bode's Galaxy from Dubhe
Dubhe
M81
URSA MAJOR
Bode's Galaxy lies 10.1° northwest of Dubhe , the magnitude 1.8 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
Bode's Galaxy is highest in the evening in April
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 57° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 68° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 77° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 80° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 71° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 61° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 51° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 44° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 39° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 42° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 48° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 68° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 70° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 63° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 33° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 61° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 20° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 49° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 45° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 21° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 0° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -6° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -16° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -59° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 21°S, and never sets north of 21°N.
Bode's Galaxy is 12 million light-years away
The light seen from Bode's Galaxy tonight left it about 12 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 75 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: TRGB 3.63 Mpc, GHOSTS (Monachesi 2016).
Objects within 6° of Bode's Galaxy
M82 Cigar Galaxy, irregular galaxy, 37′ NGC 3077, galaxy, 46′ NGC 2976, galaxy, 1.4° NGC 2787, galaxy, 3.2° NGC 2985, galaxy, 3.2° NGC 3147, galaxy, 4.7°
Bode's Galaxy catalog data
Field Value
Designations M81, NGC 3031, PGC 028630, UGC 05318 Type spiral galaxy Constellation Ursa Major Right ascension (J2000) 09h 55.6m Declination (J2000) +69° 04′ Magnitude 6.9 Surface brightness 22.8 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 27′ × 14′ True size 92,700 light-years Distance 12 million light-years (TRGB 3.63 Mpc, GHOSTS (Monachesi 2016)) Best month April Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 34
