The Cigar Galaxy, also known as Irregular Galaxy M82 or NGC 3034, is an elongated and narrow irregular galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major. It is the prototype of a starburst galaxy, being characterized by a high rate of star formation in its center, apparently caused by a gravitational interaction between two and five hundred million years ago with the primary Bode galaxy.
That stellar outbreak lasted 50 million years, with a star formation rate of 10 solar masses per year, and was followed by two others, the last of which occurred between 4 and 6 million years ago and which appears to have formed the clusters of the core.
Around the center of the galaxy, young stars are being born 10 times faster than within our entire Milky Way galaxy. Radiation and energetic particles from these newborn stars are drawn into the surrounding gas, and the resulting galactic wind compresses enough gas to form millions more stars. The rapid rate of star formation in this galaxy will eventually be self-limiting. When star formation becomes too vigorous, it will consume or destroy the material needed to form more stars. The starburst will then disappear, probably in a few tens of millions of years.
Throughout the field shown you can see the IFN (integral flux nebula), clouds of dust illuminated by the integrated light of all the stars in the galaxy.
Technical data of the acquisition:
Baader Blue (CMOS-Optimized) 36 mm: 20×300,″(1h 40′)
Baader Green (CMOS-Optimized) 36 mm: 20×300,″(1h 40′)
Baader H-alpha 6.5nm (CMOS-Optimized) 36 mm: 20×900,″(5h)
Baader Red (CMOS-Optimized) 36 mm: 20×300,″(1h 40′)
Baader UV/IR CUT Luminance (CMOS Optimized) 36 mm: 28×300,″(2h 20′)
Time integration:
12h 20′