Galaxy
Cigar Galaxy
Starburst galaxy · M82 · NGC 3034
Starburst galaxy in Ursa Major
Photo: Jcnic · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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. It is the second-largest member of the M81 Group, with the D25 isophotal diameter of 12.52 kiloparsecs (40,800 light-years). It is about five times more luminous than the Milky Way and its central region is about one hundred times more luminous. The starburst activity is thought to have been triggered by interaction with neighboring galaxy M81(NGC 3031). As one of the closest starburst galaxies to Earth, M82 is the prototypical example of this galaxy type. SN 2014J, a Type Ia supernova, was discovered in the galaxy on 21 January 2014. In 2014, in studying M82, scientists discovered the brightest pulsar yet known, designated M82 X-2.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~10.7–12.3 million light-years
Apparent mag.
+8.4
Apparent size
11.2′ × 4.3′
Best seen with
Binoculars
Catalogue
M82 · NGC 3034
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 82 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 3034.
- Found in the constellation Ursa Major.
- Within reach of ordinary binoculars under dark skies.
