Messier 82 Cigar Galaxy (Copy)

 Messier 82, Cigar Galaxy    Through ensuing supernova explosions and powerful “super” winds from massive stars, the burst of star formation in M82 is driving the prodigous outflow of material. Evidence for the superwind from the galaxy’s central regions is clear in this image, based on data from small telescopes. The composite highlights emission from filaments of atomic hydrogen gas in reddish hues. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light-years. Some of the gas in the superwind, enriched in heavy elements coming from massive stars, will eventually escape into intergalactic space. Triggered by a close encounter with the large nearby galaxy Messier 81, the furious burst of star formation in M82 should last about 100 million years or so. M82 is 12 million light-years distant, near the northern boundary of Ursa Major. The image was taken through a Planewave 20″ telescope and a Finger Lake Instruments PL16803 camera.  To make this image there were a total of 156 images, taken over a period of 32 hours including 12 hours of Hydrogen emission to capture the superwind filaments.