Digitized Sky Survey 2 image of M82 and M81
The spiral galaxy M81 and the neighbour galaxy M82 are forming a physical pair. A few tens of million years ago, the smaller M82 collided with M81. This gravitational interaction deformed M82 and caused its concentrated burst of star formation.
Credit:
ESA/Hubble and Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgements: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
About the Image
| Id: | heic0604h |
| Release date: | Apr 24, 2006, 15:00 CEST |
| Related release: | heic0604 |
| Size: | 13123 x 10102 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Cigar Galaxy, M 82, Messier 82 |
| Type: | • Galaxies Images/Videos |