Messier 82 is an unusual starburst galaxy in Ursa Major. It is sometimes known as the Cigar Galaxy.

The galaxy has a unique bipolar outflow creating a galactic superwind emanating from the central core of the galaxy, highlighted here in the red light of ionized hydrogen gas. Seen edge-on, a complex interplay of dust obscures some of the core of the galaxy while bright knots are intense areas of star formation.

An intermediate mass black hole lies at the center of M82, as well as a highly unusual object discovered in April of 2010 that might be a micro-quasar.

M82's irregular appearance and prodigious rate of star formation are thought to have been caused by gravitational encounters with its massive neighbor M81.

Located 12 million lights years away, M82 is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared light.

M82 was discovered by Johann Elert Bode on December 31, 1774.

North is to the top in the above image.

Messier 82 Catalogs: M82, NGC 3034 Common Name: Cigar Galaxy Object Type: I0 edge-on Galaxy Magnitude: 8.6v Size: M81: 11.2' x 4.3' Constellation: Ursa Major Image Field Centered At: RA: 09h 55m 51s Dec: +69° 41' 03"