M82

The Cigar Galaxy is a starburst galaxy located about 11.5 million light-years away in Ursa Major, forming a famous pair with M81 (Bode's Galaxy). A gravitational encounter with M81 about 300 million years ago compressed gas in M82's core, triggering an intense burst of star formation — the galaxy is forming new stars at a rate 10 times faster than a 'normal' galaxy. This starburst drives powerful superwinds of gas and dust, visible as dramatic red filaments extending thousands of light-years above and below the disk in photographs.

Located just 38 arcminutes north of M81 — both galaxies fit in the same low-power telescope field. M82 appears as a bright, elongated streak with a mottled, irregular texture even in a 4-inch telescope. Look for the dark lane cutting across the galaxy near its center. Larger telescopes (8 inches+) reveal remarkable detail — dark patches, knots, and a sense of chaotic turbulence very different from the smooth glow of typical galaxies. An H-beta or narrowband Ha filter can enhance the faint emission filaments. Best observed from January through June.

Discovered by Johann Elert Bode on December 31, 1774 (the same night as M81). For a long time it was classified as an irregular galaxy, but infrared observations in 2005 revealed two symmetric spiral arms hidden behind the dust, reclassifying it as a barred spiral. In January 2014, a Type Ia supernova (SN 2014J) was discovered in M82 — the nearest Type Ia supernova in 42 years.