Messier 81: Optical, Ultraviolet & Infrared Views Combined | Hubble/GALEX/Spitzer

Messier 81: Optical, Ultraviolet & Infrared Views Combined | Hubble/GALEX/Spitzer

This image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) missions. The GALEX ultraviolet data were from the far-UV portion of the spectrum (135 to 175 nanometres). The Spitzer infrared data were taken with the IRAC 4 detector (8 microns). The Hubble data were taken at the blue portion of the spectrum.

Messier 81 (M81) is a spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds—the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. M81 is located 11.6 million light-years away. The M81 galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness make it a popular target for amateur astronomers. In the midsts of this galaxy is the supernova 1993J which was recently found to have a companion star which had been hidden in the glow of the supernova for 21 years. 

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics); Spitzer data: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics.

Release Date: May 28, 2007

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