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ESA Science News
http://www.esa.int/science/

2 July 2003

Postcard from space
The spiral galaxy M81 in Ursa Major
[http://www.esa.int/export/esaSC/SEMJDZWO4HD_index_0.html]

Using ESA's space-borne telescopes, such as XMM-Newton, astronomers
can better study wonders like this in the depths of space.

M81 is the first of the four objects originally discovered by Johann
Elert Bode, who found it, together with its neighbour M82, on 31
December, 1774. This image of M81 was obtained by the Optical
Monitor (OM) on XMM-Newton in April 2001. The image is formed from
three exposures taken with different ultraviolet filters. The M81
galaxy is at least 22,000 light-years across. 

Related articles

* XMM-Newton factsheet
   http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM14YS1VED_index_0.html
* Hubble factsheet
   http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMB5E1A6BD_index_0.html

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