M81, also known as Bode's Galaxy, is a type Sb spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Ursa Major. It is a beautiful example of what is known as a "grand design" spiral galaxy. It's prominent spiral structure and dense star forming regions is a result of a strong gravitational influence with its neighboring galaxy, M82. M81 is located approximately 12 million light-years from earth.

Image capture and processing information:

Date/Location: February 18, 2007 Lake Sonoma, Sonoma County, California
Instrument: SBIG ST-2000XCM through an Orion 6 inch Newtonian reflector
Focal Ratio: f5.0
Guiding: Self-Guiding camera
Conditions: Visually clear
Weather: 50 F, moderate breeze
Exposure: 20 minute single exposure
Processing: Focused and captured with CCDOPS. Image processed using CCDOPS and Adobe Photoshop CS2