Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  Cigar Galaxy  ·  M 82  ·  NGC 3034
M82, Jan Sjoerd de Vries
M82
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M82

M82, Jan Sjoerd de Vries
M82
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M82

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Description

Messier 82 (also known as NGC 3034, Cigar Galaxy or M82) is a starburst galaxy approximately 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. A member of the M81 Group, it is about five times more luminous than the whole Milky Way and has a center one hundred times more luminous than our galaxy's center. The starburst activity is thought to have been triggered by interaction with neighboring galaxy M81. As the closest starburst galaxy to Earth, M82 is the prototypical example of this galaxy type.

In the core of M82, the active starburst region spans a diameter of 1500 light years. M82's unique bipolar outflow (or 'superwind') appears to be concentrated within this core and is fueled by energy released by supernovae which occur at a rate of about one every ten years.

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Description: Cropped to show details of dust extinction and Ha emission

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M82, Jan Sjoerd de Vries