| Object Data |
| Description |
M82 is one of the strangest looking nearby galaxies.
Its exact structure remains a mystery. It has long been described as an
irregular galaxy, but it is also possible that M82 is an entirely normal
edge-on spiral with an obscure unidentified foreground object in our line
of sight. |
| Constellation |
Ursa Major the Great Bear |
| Right Ascension |
9h 56m 15s |
| Declination |
+69° 39' 44" |
| Magnitude |
9.2 |
| Angular size |
10.5 arcminutes |
| Distance |
3.9 ± 0.3 megaparsecs (12.6 million light years) |
| Radial Velocity |
203 kilometers per second |
| Image Data |
| Photographer |
Fred Lehman |
| Main Scope |
Meade 12" LX200 @ f/5.0 (1525mm) |
| Guide Scope |
Orion 120mm refractor @ f/3.75 |
| Guide Camera |
SBIG STV |
| Imaging Camera |
Starlight Xpress MX7C |
| Resolution |
752 x 580 @ 1.2 arcseconds per pixel |
| Exposure |
Fifteen exposures of two minutes each. Aligned,
stacked, and processed with AstroArt. |
| Date |
March 24, 2003 |
| Location |
Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central
South Florida. |
