M82 Cigar Galaxy (Webb + Hubble)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently observed edge-on starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82), nicknamed the Cigar Galaxy. Webb’s near-infrared data combined with Hubble visible-light archival data (assigned the color yellow) create a more comprehensive understanding of M82. With Webb’s near-infrared imagery, astronomers can see the galaxy’s distended disk structure and millions of individual stars — approximately 16.5 million — for the first time.

Depicted as luminous blue granules, these stars are only a small portion of the total amount astronomers think reside in a galaxy like M82. The extreme star formation occurring within M82, which will eventually cause star formation to cease in the future, is causing bipolar plumes of material to be ejected above and below the galaxy’s disk. 

Archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope adds another aspect to the lively scene: yellow tendrils of material, which represent ionized hydrogen gas, are closest to the galaxy’s disk. The red-orange material farther away imaged by Webb depicts small dust grains. These grains are called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and are helpful in tracing material in the space between the galaxy’s stars, also known as the interstellar medium.

Webb’s detailed observation of the galaxy, specifically of the main plane of the galactic disk, is aiding astronomers as they seek to uncover the formation history of M82. The telescope data will also help scientists understand the current processes occurring within the starburst galaxy.