Only 12 M LY away. Just reported this morning, so not a lot of in-depth stories out yet. Add links when they appear. I posted a link to the report and a picture on my blog

 

http://blogs.scienceforums.net/swansont/archives/14585

For those who are curious - M82 is just closer to Ursa Major (probably the best known constellation) / Big Dipper / Plough. Here is a picture of the sky basis 2200 hrs GMT and from London

 

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yourtel?lat=56.1712&ns=North&lon=148.659&fov=45.000&date=0&utc=2014-01-22+12%3A05%3A34&jd=2456680.00387&coords=on&moonp=on&deep=on&deepm=8.5&consto=on&constn=on&constb=on&limag=6.5&starn=on&starnm=3.5&starb=on&starbm=4.0&showmb=-1.5&showmd=6.0&imgsize=512&fontscale=1.0&scheme=0&elements=

 

From my reading - you won't be able to see anything unless you have a international observatory very very good telescope in your back garden.

Edited January 22, 201411 yr by imatfaal
re-reading apparent magnitude