Millions of Stars in the Cigar Galaxy

The James Webb Space Telescope recently observed the edge-on starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82), nicknamed the Cigar Galaxy.

Webb’s new view, combined with archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope, provides a more complete picture of this starburst galaxy. Because Webb sees infrared light, it can peer through clouds of dust and gas to reveal the galaxy’s shape and approximately 16.5 million of its stars.

M82’s rapid star formation, thought to result from a merger with another galaxy, will be a relatively brief phase in its history. The extreme star formation is causing plumes of material to be ejected above and below the disk, a process that will disrupt future stellar birth.

james webb, hubble, messier 82, cigar galaxy, m82, infrared, starburst galaxy, star formation, galactic merger, galactic winds