The Messier Ten Minute Challenge

M81 - Galaxy in Ursa Major

Messier 81 (NGC 3031) in Ursa Major is one of the nearest galaxies
beyond the Local Group. The bright nucleus, well defined spiral arms
and dark dust lanes - with one of these running straight through the
disk - make this spiral galaxy an attractive target. Studies of the
variable stars in M81 have yielded a distance of 11.8 million light-
years.

http://www.martin-nicholson.info/ten...llenge/m81.htm

Martin Nicholson, Daventry, England.
http://www.martin-nicholson.info/1/1a.htm

http://mira.aavso.org/pipermail/aavs...ry/014023.html