Click on the image for a full resolution version Messier 81 (M81), together with M 82, were discovered by Johann Bode in 1774. They were rediscovered by Mechain in 1779 and included by Messier in his catalog in 1781. This is the largest (and therefore, the dominant) galaxy of the M81 Group, which includes some 34 … Continue reading Messier 81. NGC 3031