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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

🌌 NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Unusual M82: The Cigar Galaxy Credit and Copyright:

Date: 1996-11-18

Unusual M82: The Cigar Galaxy
Credit and Copyright:

View HD Image

Explanation:

Something strange happened to this galaxy,
but what? M82
is a nearby galaxy in the group of galaxies
dominated by itself, M81, and NGC 3077.
M82 is thought by some to be limping away from a close encounter
with M81.
This galactic collision
might have stirred up the inner stars and gas in M82,
causing the unusual dark lanes of dust
visible in the above photograph. M82
is a starburst galaxy with a very
active center containing star clusters far brighter
than any in our own Milky Way Galaxy.