... Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 in Ultraviolet from Galex . ... Harvard CfA ) Explanation: Where are the hot stars in M81, one of the closest major spiral galaxies? To help find out, astronomers took a deep image in ultraviolet light of the sprawling spiral with the Earth-orbiting Galex telescope . ... Magnificent spiral galaxy M81, slightly smaller in size to our own Milky Way Galaxy , shows off its young stars in its winding spiral arms in the above image . ... Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 from Hubble . ...