M 82 "Cigar Galaxy"
Click image to view entire frane
Telescope: RCOS 14.5” at Rowe, NM
Camera Filters: Red, Blue, Green, Luminance
Total exposure: 13 hours
Image width: 1/4 degree
M 82 is classified as a “Star Burst” galaxy because the red region emanating from its core consists of a flurry of newly born stars—generated at a birth rate about ten times that of our own galaxy. The cause of this intense star burst is thought to be a gravitational interaction with its nearby neighbor M 81. M 82 has many interesting features which Wikipedia nicely summarizes.