The galaxy M82, also known as the Cigar Galaxy, is a large spiral system located relatively close to us. We see it edge-on. Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope examined it in detail and recorded the positions of 16.5 million individual stars, creating a map of the galaxy.
The Galaxy M82
M82, also known as NGC 3034, is a fairly large galaxy located about 12 million light-years from us in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major. By the standards of the visible Universe, this is quite close. It is a spiral system, but we see it edge-on, so through telescopes it appears as an elongated patch of light.
It is because of this shape that M82 is called the Cigar Galaxy. It was discovered back in 1774 by the German astronomer Johann Bode, but for a long time it remained only a tiny bright spot. Only in the 20th century did scientists learn that its diameter is about 40,000 light-years, meaning it is smaller than the Milky Way, but still large enough to be considered a major galaxy.
What makes M82 special is its unusually high rate of star formation. Each year, roughly ten times more new stars form from gas and dust clouds there than in the Milky Way. And now, according to www.sci.news , a detailed study of the galaxy has finally been carried out.
16.5 Million Stars
The high rate of star formation, together with the galaxy’s orientation, makes the Cigar Galaxy an excellent object for studying the evolution of such systems. Everything needed for observation can be seen; what was required was a sufficiently powerful instrument. Scientists have finally obtained one.
The James Webb Space Telescope looked deep into the Cigar Galaxy and recorded the positions and physical characteristics of approximately 16.5 million stars. In addition, it was able to trace the movement of different types of gas. Thanks to this, scientists assembled an overall picture of what is happening there, and it surprised them considerably.
The point is that this gas is already now erupting above the plane of the galaxy. In the future, this process may become much stronger. If that happens, very little gas will remain for the formation of new stars. This means that the intense star formation we observe today may stop very soon — and quite unexpectedly.
