- L96 minutes (22 frames)
- H230 minutes (34 frames)
- R65 minutes (13 frames)
- B60 minutes (12 frames)
- G60 minutes (12 frames)
- S80 minutes (8 frames)
The Cigar Galaxy (Messier 82 or M82) is a star-forming spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It is about 12 million light years away.
Key Features
- Size: Diameter 37,000 light years.
- Brightness: Five times brighter than the Milky Way.
- Supermassive Black Hole: Mass 30 million solar masses.
- Recession Velocity: 203 km/s.
Features
Star Formation Activity
As a result of gravitational interactions with the neighboring Bode Galaxy (M81), star formation activity in M82 has increased by a factor of 10. The center of the galaxy produces stars 10 times faster than the entire Milky Way galaxy. - Star Clusters: 197 young massive clusters have been identified, with an average mass of about 200,000 solar masses.
- Bipolar Outflow: A powerful outflow of matter from the central region is associated with frequent supernovae, occurring once every 10 years.
Structure
Previously thought to be irregular, the galaxy M82 actually has two symmetrical spiral arms. They were discovered in 2005 in the near infrared. Their hand-like shape and complex dust structures made them difficult to identify previously.
Unusual Objects
- Pulsar M82 X-2: The brightest known pulsar, discovered in 2014.
- Radio Source: In 2010, an object with unique radio emissions was discovered in M82, which has no analogues.
Supernovae
M82 has a high level of supernova activity:
- SN 2004am: A confirmed Type II supernova discovered in 2004.
- SN 2008iz: A radio supernova obscured by dust.
- SN 2014J: Discovered on January 21, 2014, it reached a brightness of +10.9 magnitude. It is the second closest supernova to Earth in the last 27 years.
Discovery history
The galaxy was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774. In 1779, it was independently discovered by Pierre Méchain, and the object was included in the Messier catalog.
Interesting facts
-
M81 influence: Gravitational interaction with M81 began about 100 million years ago, triggering powerful star formation processes.
-
Gamma-ray burst: In November 2023, a gamma-ray burst caused by a magnetar was detected in the galaxy. This is the first such event outside the Milky Way.
Significance
M82 is a typical example of a star-forming galaxy and one of the closest such objects to Earth. Due to its bright core and active dynamics, it remains the subject of intense astronomical research.
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| Photo | Date | Frames | Exposure | L | R | G | B | H | S | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 25 Jul 2023 | 110 | 11:20 | 01:35 | 01:30 | 01:30 | 01:20 | 04:05 | 01:20 | |
 | 20 Jul 2023 | 94 | 10:00 | 01:35 | 01:30 | 01:30 | 04:05 | 01:20 | ||
 | 22 Aug 2020 | 74 | 06:10 | 01:15 | 01:05 | 01:00 | 01:00 | 01:50 | ||
 | 27 Mar 2019 | 19 | 01:35 | 01:35 | ||||||
 | 16 Jul 2017 | 30 | 00:15 | 00:15 |
Visibility chart of Cigar Galaxy (M 82) during the day
| Date | Moon Phase | Exposure | CCD Temperature | Gain | Offset | Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- 2023ixf•
- 40 Eri•
- Abell 74•
- Artemis A868 SA•
- a Canis Minoris•
- C 2020 R4 ATLAS•
- C 2020 T2 Palomar•
- C 2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)•
- Haumea (2003 EL61)•
- HCG 68•
- HCG 92•
- IC 1318B•
- IC 1396•
- IC 1795•
- IC 1805•
- IC 1848•
- IC 1871•
- IC 3322A•
- IC 342•
- IC 4015•
- IC 405•
- IC 417•
- IC 434•
- IC 443•
- IC 4703•
- IC 5070•
- IC 5146•
- IC 63•
- M 1•
- M 101•
- M 103•
- M 109•
- M 13•
- M 15•
- M 27•
- M 3•
- M 33•
- M 42•
- M 45•
- M 5•
- M 51•
- M 57•
- M 63•
- M 64•
- M 74•
- M 76•
- M 81•
- M 82•
- M 86•
- M 87•
- M 94•
- M 97•
- NGC 147•
- NGC 1491•
- NGC 1499•
- NGC 1579•
- NGC 1961•
- NGC 2146•
- NGC 2239•
- NGC 2403•
- NGC 281•
- NGC 4236•
- NGC 4565•
- NGC 4631•
- NGC 507•
- NGC 508•
- NGC 5866•
- NGC 5907•
- NGC 6503•
- NGC 6823•
- NGC 6888•
- NGC 6946•
- NGC 6992•
- NGC 6995•
- NGC 7000•
- NGC 7023•
- NGC 7129•
- NGC 7217•
- NGC 7331•
- NGC 7380•
- NGC 7538•
- NGC 7635•
- NGC 7640•
- NGC 7822•
- NGC 891•
- NGC 896•
- NGC 925•
- PGC 54559•
- Sh2-155•
- Sh2-168•
- Sh2 103•
- Sh2 109•
- Sh2 132•
- T CrB•
- UGC 6930•
- V1405 Cas•
- Vesta A807 FA•