Russell Croman Astrophotography  

 

 

Galaxy M82


About This Photograph

M82 is a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on from our vantage point. It is known as a "starburst galaxy" due to its very high rate of star formation, likely triggered by gravitational disturbance from nearby galaxy M82. It also has a dramatic bipolar outflow of ionized hydrogen gas, currently thought to be driven by supernova explosions happening at a prodigious rate within the galaxy – about one every 10 years on average.

This photograph combines nearly 175 hours of exposures through three different telescopes, with nearly 100 hours of that taken through a hydrogen-alpha filter to isolate and emphasize the bipolar outflow.

 

Related Photographs

M81 Galaxy Group, Neutral Hydrogen, and Interstellar Dust
M81 Galaxy Group and Interstellar Dust
Chaotic Galaxy M82
 

Technical Details

Optics:PlaneWave 14" CDK, Takahashi FSQ-106 EDX4, RCOS 20" Ritchey-Chretien
Camera:QHY600M, STL-11000M
Mount:Paramount ME II, Paramount MX+, Paramount ME
Filters:Chroma RGB, 3nm H⍺
Dates/Times:6 January - 11 March 2021, January - February 2005
Location:RC-Astro North Observatory at New Mexico Skies
Exposure Details:RGB = 77.25 hours, H⍺ = 97.5 hours
Acquisition:MaximDL, ACP Expert
Processing:PixInsight, Photoshop