APOD

M81 is a fairly large spiral galaxy, about as large as the Milky way and one of the brightest in the night sky. The yellow core of the galaxy is clearly visible, as is the nearby companion galaxy, Homberg IX. Both galaxies are viewed here through the stars in our Milky Way, as well as some highly-reflective dust clouds high above the galactic plane, which have been dubbed "integrated flux nebulae".