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. 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.
| Object | M82 Cigar Galaxy (Leo Triplet) |
| Constellation: | Ursa Major |
| Position: | RA 09h 56m 07s Dec +69° 42' 35'' |
| Apparent Size: | 11.2 × 4.3 arcmins |
| Apparent Magnitude: | 8.4 |
| Distance in light years: | 12 Mly |
| Photo Data | |
| Date: | 16 Dec 2021 - 26 Jan 2022 |
| Location: |
Rancho Hidalgo Observatory, New Mexico U.S.A. (1400m ASL) GPS: 31.9469444 N / -108.898333333 E |
| Telescope: | T-17: Planewave CDK17 43cm, f/d 6.8/2940mm |
| Camera: | FLI PL16803 9μm, 4096x4096px, -25°C Astrodon LRGB, 3nm SHO, @ T sensor = -15°C |
| Field of View: | arcmins |
| Pixel Scale/Resolution: | arcsec/px |
| Expose frames/times: | L 27x1200s, R 16x900s, G 16x900s, B 16x900s, H 12x1800s |
| Total expose: | 27h 0min |
| Filter: | Astrodon Luminance, Red, Green, Blue, Ha |
| Mount: | Paramount ME |
| Software: | Siril 1.4, Photoshop CC |
| Remarks: |
© 2025 Peter Cerveny