Messier 82; The Cigar Galaxy (Unframed)
Messier 82; The Cigar Galaxy (Unframed)
Image Description
Captured over several weeks from the PixelSkiesAstro remote observatory in Southern Spain, this image of Messier 82 combines 255 hours of LHaRGB data to reveal both the familiar bright core of the Cigar Galaxy and the much fainter structures extending far beyond its central disk.
This image was subsequently awarded AstroBin Image of the Day (IOTD).
Messier 82, or the Cigar Galaxy, is an edge-on starburst galaxy located around 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Its extraordinary rate of star formation is thought to have been triggered by gravitational interactions with its much larger neighbour, M81. Today, stars are being formed in its central region at roughly ten times the rate seen across the entire Milky Way.
The result is an extreme environment. Thousands of young, massive stars packed into the galaxy's central regions produce enormous amounts of radiation, stellar winds and supernova explosions. Together, these drive a vast galactic super wind that is blasting gas and dust away from the central starburst and out into intergalactic space.
The spectacular red structures extending above and below the galaxy are dominated by ionised hydrogen. These enormous filaments trace the bipolar outflow generated by the central starburst, with the material extending tens of thousands of light-years from the galaxy. Our deep Hα dataset allows these structures to be pulled away from the surrounding background and followed much further from the bright central disk than they would be in broadband data alone.
At the heart of M82, the dense dust lanes crossing the disk obscure much of the intense activity taking place behind them. Against the bright central stellar population, these dark structures provide a striking contrast to the glowing hydrogen being expelled from the galaxy.
Imaging System
Our twin 130mm APO quadruplet refractors are mounted on a strong custom adaptor plate, riding securely on a Paramount ME. At the rear of each OTA is a rotator and EFW with complete Antlia LRGB + 3nm SHO filter sets, these in turn feed the photons into twin ASI2600MM Pro cameras. Though the Paramount is capable of unguided imaging, we opted for OAG to support dithering. Focus is automated for each OTA through ZWO EAFs. Power distribution and USB control is managed through a Pegasus UPB v3, with remote power strips and a UPS for redundancy.
The system is hosted by PixelSkiesAstro remote observatory in Southern Spain where the roof frequently rolls off to a clear, dark sky. Both telescopes run in parallel, doubling the exposure time on target.
We utilise NINA for an almost completely autonomous data acquisition solution, relying heavily on the Target Scheduler plugin to synchronise all three cameras and select the most suitable targets from our wish-list. SyncThing ensures the raw data is transferred overnight and waiting on our home PCs each morning, ready for backup and queued for calibration. The complexity of the rig is matched by an equally capable imaging server with redundant drives, ample memory and automated Discord status updates - keeping us both informed throughout the night.
Our premium semi-glossy paper enhances colours with a subtle shine and protects against fading from light or moisture: