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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2025 April 10

Explanation: From a garden on planet Earth, 38 hours of exposure with a camera and small telescope produced of the M81 galaxy group. In fact, the group's dominant galaxy M81 is near the center of the frame sporting grand spiral arms and a bright yellow core. Also known as Bode's galaxy, M81 itself spans some 100,000 light-years. Near the top is cigar-shaped . The pair have been locked in gravitational combat for a billion years. has profoundly affected the other during a series of cosmic close encounters. Their last go-round lasted about 100 million years and likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in massive star forming regions arrayed along 's spiral arms. was left with violent star forming regions too, and colliding gas clouds so energetic that the galaxy . In the next few billion years, their continuing gravitational encounters will result in a merger, and a . Another group member, NGC 3077 is below and left of the large spiral M81. Far far away, about 12 million light-years distant the M81 group galaxies are seen toward the northern constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). But in the closer foreground the wide-field image is filled with integrated flux nebulae whose faint, reflect starlight above the plane of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Authors & editors: () & ()
NASA Official: Amber Straughn .

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