M 82 – The Cigar Galaxy
Description:
Messier 82, the Cigar Galaxy, is revealed here in a rather unusual way. I used a narrow-bandpass filter (hydrogen-alpha), which shows filaments of ionized gas in its central region being ejected by a galactic superwind.
Messier 82 is a starburst galaxy. Stars are being born here at a rate 10 times higher than in our own galaxy. It is located 12 million light-years away.
Technical details:
Telescope: Celestron Edge HD14 and 0.7x focal reducer
Mount: Paramount MX+
Camera: ZWO ASI 2600 MM
Filters LRGB and H-Alpha from Baader
Exposure: 65 6-minute subs with luminance, 48 2-minute subs in red, green, and blue, and 34 10-minute subs in H-Alpha
Place: Backyard observatory in Sainte-Sophie, Qc
Date: June 2025
