Galaxies M81 (bottom) and M82 (top), GALEX ultraviolet image. M81 (NGC 3031) is a large spiral galaxy with young stars in the spiral arms (blue) surro

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Galaxies M81 (bottom) and M82 (top), GALEX ultraviolet image. M81 (NGC 3031) is a large spiral galaxy with young stars in the spiral arms (blue) surrounding the nucleus (yellow). M81 is affecting its smaller neighbour, M82 (NGC 3034), which is turbulent and irregular due to extreme rates of star birth and death. Both galaxies are around 12 million light years from Earth, in the contellation of Ursa Major. This image, published in 2007, was obtained by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) space telescope.

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Size: 2232px × 3948px
Photo credit: © NASA/JPL-CALTECH/J. HUCHRA (HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CFA)/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 2, 2007, 21st, 3031, 3034, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, century, death, duo, evolution, exploding, explorer, galactic, galaxy, galex, interacting, interaction, irregular, jet, jets, m81, m82, major, ngc, pair, science, space, spiral, star, starbirth, telescope, turbulent, ultraviolet, universe, ursa, uv