14 DAY TRIAL // The M82 galaxy is the brightest galaxy in the sky in infrared, as it is much brighter at infrared wavelengths than in the visible part of the spectrum. Part of the M81 group, it is located 12 million light years away.
Also known as a "peculiar" galaxy, M82 has long presented a number of unsolved problems to astronomers, because of the fact that it is a very strong radio source, the light is highly polarized and shows what seems to be a very strong magnetic field.
It has a very striking spindle shape which, in spite of being much smaller than M81, is far more conspicuous. Although it shows a great deal of amorphous structure, it does not have the spiral arms characteristic to other galaxies. Only two such arms have been discovered in 2005 in infrared images, which are bluer than the disk.
This is combined infrared photo, taken by the most powerful satellites, Spitzer, Chandra and Hubble and the gas and gas clouds are clearly visible due to the high resolution of the image. Streamers and jets seem to be squirting out of the center, perpendicular to the main axis of the galaxy.
Astronomers don't know for sure, but it appears that something very violent has taken place in the past several million years. M82 is being physically affected by its bigger neighbor, the M81, so tidal forces caused by gravity have deformed this galaxy, a process that is thought to have started roughly 100 million years ago. This interaction has caused star formation to increase 10 fold compared to "normal" galaxies.
Fluctuating X-ray emissions have been detected 600 light years away from its center and astronomers think this fluctuating emission comes from the first known intermediate-mass black hole, of roughly 200 to 5000 solar masses.
This is the link to the Hi-Res picture. Please be patient, as it may be take some time to load (4880X3840).