Infrared image of Messier 81 shows off beautifully

NASA has just released a stunning infrared image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of the Messier 81 galaxy, a spiral galaxy located 11.6 million light-years from Earth.

The Messier 81 galaxy was discovered on December 31, 1774 by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode.

Also known as M81, LEDA 28630 or NGC 3031 , this galaxy is located 11.6 million light-years from Earth and has a maximum light intensity of 6.9.

The Messier 81 galaxy is also known as M81, LEDA 28630 or NGC 3031. (Image source: Phys).

Messier 81 is 90,000 light-years in diameter, half the size of the Milky Way.

This is the largest galaxy in the Galaxy Group M8 , a collection of 34 galaxies located in the northern constellation Ursa Major.

The spiral arms of the galaxy extend throughout its nucleus, made up of hot, young, green stars formed over the last few million years. They also organized a star-forming population that began about 600 million years ago.

The galaxy's central bulge contains many older, redder stars. It is significantly larger than the bulge of the Milky Way galaxy.

There is also a giant black hole weighing 70 million times the mass of the sun in the center of Messier 81.