The Cigar Galaxy is a starburst galaxy approximately in the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). It is the brightest infrared galaxy in the sky. It is about five times more luminous than the Milky Way. M82 was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774.
In 2014, in studying M82, scientists discovered the brightest pulsar yet known, designated M82 X-2. In November 2023, a gamma-ray burst was observed in M82, which was determined to have come from a magnetar, the first such event detected outside the Milky Way (and only the fourth such event ever detected). M82, like most galaxies, hosts a supermassive black hole at its center.
Viewing Location – Near the Salton Sea, Imperial County, CA
- Lat/Lon: 33.3815562,-115.6448477
- Sky Magnitude: 21.65 magnitudes/square arcsecond
- Sky Luminance: 0.237 mcd/m2
- Bortle Scale: 4 (rural/suburban transition) equal to a Sky Magnitude between 21.69–20.49.
Observation
- Catalog Designation: Messier 82, NGC 3034
- Celestial Coordinates: RA 09h 55m 52.2s | Dec +69° 40′ 47″
- Observation Duration: 1 night, 230 x 10sec = 38.33 minutes
- CCD temperature in degrees Celsius: 27
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Surrounding Constellation – Ursa Major
Several bright galaxies are found in Ursa Major, including the pair Messier 81 (one of the brightest galaxies in the sky) and Messier 82 above the bear’s head, and Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), a spiral northeast of Alkaid, the star at the end of the tail.
