The galaxy located in the center of the picture is M81, one of the brightest galaxies in the sky. Discovered by German astronomer Johann Elert Bode, it is also known as the "Bode Galaxy" and is located 12 million light-years away in the direction of Ursa Major (1 light-year is the distance light travels in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers). M81 has gigantic spiral arms and a bright yellow hue. The galaxy that appears at the top of the picture in a straight shape is M82. M81 and M82 have been trapped in a gravitational battle for 1 billion years. In the coming billions of years, the two galaxies are expected to merge into one galaxy due to the ongoing gravitational collisions.
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