In the northern skies of Ursa Major, the galaxies M81 (Bode’s Galaxy) and M82 (the Cigar Galaxy) form a stunning pair of contrasting cosmic neighbors, separated by only about 150,000 light-years. M81, a grand spiral galaxy, exhibits elegant, sweeping arms filled with billions of stars and interstellar dust. Nearby, M82’s edge-on orientation reveals a tumultuous starburst galaxy, where intense star formation and powerful winds from massive stars drive outflows of hydrogen gas, glowing prominently in Hα light.

This composite image combines data captured in LRGB from Tibolddaróc, Hungary, under Bortle 3-4 skies, with Hα data acquired from Budapest’s Bortle 5-6 urban skies. The detailed processing highlights M81’s serene spiral structure alongside M82’s energetic outflows, showcasing the diversity of galactic evolution. This iconic pair invites exploration into the dynamic interactions and gravitational influences that shape galaxies across the cosmos.