Bode's Galaxy is a grand design spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It has
a D25 isophotal diameter of 29.44 kiloparsecs (96,000 light-years). Because of its relative proximity to the Milky Way
galaxy, large size, and active galactic nucleus (which harbors a 70 million M☉1 supermassive black hole), Messier 81 has
been studied extensively by professional astronomers. The galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness also makes
it a popular target for amateur astronomers. In late February 2022, astronomers reported that M81 may be the source of
FRB 20200120E, a repeating fast radio burst.2