The cigar galaxy was discovered in the year 1774 by Johann elert bode. It is also known by other names like M82, an acronym for Messier 82 and NGC 3034. The star is known for its high star producing capability making it an archetype of the class of galaxies known as star busting. It is categorized as uneven and somehow deformed in its disk shape (fromert H. kronberg, 2009). Its location is about twelve light years from the earth and it mostly appears to the north of sky called spring in the constellation of galaxies called ursa majorgreat bear. In appearance, it has the shape of an elongated disk due to a tilt of the disk from the direction of the viewing angle. The galaxy has also a network of cut stripped clouds and trails that are flame like made of smoldering hydrogen that arise from its core (ESA, 2006).
Its star forming ability is remarkable. In its central core, new stars are continuously born at a rate that is tenfold than that of other galaxies like the Milky Way. These stars also forms discharge radiation and other particles that are charged which form a phenomenon called stellar wind. These stellar winds pouring out of the stars join to form a gigantic super wind which has the capability of compressing sufficient gas that trigger the formation of other millions of stars and production of clouds of highly ionized and hot hydrogen gas on top and below the galaxy. The juvenile stars that are produced join together to form clusters. These clusters also assemble to form patches of bright. Starburst clumps in the core of the M82. Individual clusters of the clumps can only be identified using high resolution Hubble imaging technology (ESA, 2006).
Although the galaxy is irregular in structure, in 2005 two spiral projections that are symmetrical were found emanating from the galaxy using near infrared imaging technology. They were discovered by extracting a disk that was exponential and axisymetric out of the images from NIR.The projections were observed to be bluer than the galaxy itself and somehow trailing in appearance .The projections were not visible using other imaging technologies due to the galaxies high on surface intense brightness, its orientation from the direction of the angle in which it is viewed and the presence of a web of unclear filaments in the ocular images of other imaging technologies.
M82 is the brilliant of the galaxies in the infrared light spectrum. It is said to exhibit what is called Infrared excess because its wavelength is mainly in this range of wavelength (Fromert Kronberg, 2006).
The galaxy forms a conspicuous pair with another galaxy M81 its neighbor. This galaxy has a profound influence on the structure and activities of m82 because it interferes with its core through tidal waves when the two come into close encounter. It is noted in various studies that the tidal waves formed by gravity have continually deformed m82 for the last a hundred million years which has caused a considerable increase in the its stars forming ability (Klein, 2001). The site also records that the last encounter occurred around two to five million years ago that resulted in an increase in cluster distribution and more concerted star bursting process.
The core of m82 is the starburst region, its diameter is around 500pc and there are four bright clumps regions on the surface named A to D corresponding to either each of the x-ray radio or infrared frequencies of the spectrum. The super winds that form during star formation are concentrated in the clump A and C. It is also believed that there are many unclear clusters from the angle in which the galaxy is viewed. The galaxy also has a huge black hole in its core with a mass of thirty million solar masses. Another intermediate black hole is also present with a mass of about two to five hundred solar masses. This black hole causes fluctuations in emission of X-ray radiation at a site which is about six hundred light years away of the core.
The European space agency noted that the galaxy is dotted with pale looking stars which surround the surface of the main galaxy. The stars are about a million in total and twenty light million years crossway the galaxy (Klein, 2001). The agency also proposes that the brisk star forming ability of this galaxy will at some time reduce because when the process is too rapid, it obliterates the material required for making other stars rendering the process self hindering. The agency also predicts that due to this self limiting mechanism, the starburst will eventually decrease in about ten million years to come.
Its star forming ability is remarkable. In its central core, new stars are continuously born at a rate that is tenfold than that of other galaxies like the Milky Way. These stars also forms discharge radiation and other particles that are charged which form a phenomenon called stellar wind. These stellar winds pouring out of the stars join to form a gigantic super wind which has the capability of compressing sufficient gas that trigger the formation of other millions of stars and production of clouds of highly ionized and hot hydrogen gas on top and below the galaxy. The juvenile stars that are produced join together to form clusters. These clusters also assemble to form patches of bright. Starburst clumps in the core of the M82. Individual clusters of the clumps can only be identified using high resolution Hubble imaging technology (ESA, 2006).
Although the galaxy is irregular in structure, in 2005 two spiral projections that are symmetrical were found emanating from the galaxy using near infrared imaging technology. They were discovered by extracting a disk that was exponential and axisymetric out of the images from NIR.The projections were observed to be bluer than the galaxy itself and somehow trailing in appearance .The projections were not visible using other imaging technologies due to the galaxies high on surface intense brightness, its orientation from the direction of the angle in which it is viewed and the presence of a web of unclear filaments in the ocular images of other imaging technologies.
M82 is the brilliant of the galaxies in the infrared light spectrum. It is said to exhibit what is called Infrared excess because its wavelength is mainly in this range of wavelength (Fromert Kronberg, 2006).
The galaxy forms a conspicuous pair with another galaxy M81 its neighbor. This galaxy has a profound influence on the structure and activities of m82 because it interferes with its core through tidal waves when the two come into close encounter. It is noted in various studies that the tidal waves formed by gravity have continually deformed m82 for the last a hundred million years which has caused a considerable increase in the its stars forming ability (Klein, 2001). The site also records that the last encounter occurred around two to five million years ago that resulted in an increase in cluster distribution and more concerted star bursting process.
The core of m82 is the starburst region, its diameter is around 500pc and there are four bright clumps regions on the surface named A to D corresponding to either each of the x-ray radio or infrared frequencies of the spectrum. The super winds that form during star formation are concentrated in the clump A and C. It is also believed that there are many unclear clusters from the angle in which the galaxy is viewed. The galaxy also has a huge black hole in its core with a mass of thirty million solar masses. Another intermediate black hole is also present with a mass of about two to five hundred solar masses. This black hole causes fluctuations in emission of X-ray radiation at a site which is about six hundred light years away of the core.
The European space agency noted that the galaxy is dotted with pale looking stars which surround the surface of the main galaxy. The stars are about a million in total and twenty light million years crossway the galaxy (Klein, 2001). The agency also proposes that the brisk star forming ability of this galaxy will at some time reduce because when the process is too rapid, it obliterates the material required for making other stars rendering the process self hindering. The agency also predicts that due to this self limiting mechanism, the starburst will eventually decrease in about ten million years to come.
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