Universe FinderFly · Explore · Discover
M82
Hubble · Messier 82 · NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI) and P. Puxley (National Science Foundation)

Cigar Galaxy

Galaxy in Ursa Major · 12 million light-years

🔭 Explore Cigar Galaxy in the 3D map →View Cigar Galaxy images →
TypeGalaxy
ConstellationUrsa Major
Right ascension9h 55m 53s
Declination+69° 41′
Object distance12 million light-years
Apparent magnitude8.3
Apparent size11′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter38,397 light-years across
Also known asM82 · NGC 3034
Messier 82, popularly known as the Cigar Galaxy, is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 3034) in the constellation Ursa Major — an island of billions of stars far beyond our own Milky Way. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 11 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 8.3, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 11′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 38,397 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Cigar Galaxy

Cigar Galaxy lies in the constellation Ursa Major and is best placed in the evening sky around February. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. It sits far enough north to be circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes, and never rises for most of the southern hemisphere. A small backyard telescope will show it; binoculars may hint at it under dark skies. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.

See Cigar Galaxy in Universe Finder

Open the interactive 3D map to fly to Cigar Galaxy and see it in context among the real stars around it. Launch the 3D view →

Sources

Related objects