                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 June 29
    A starfield surrounds an unusual object with a band of diffuse white
   crossing horizontally. Emanating out from the band toward both the top
   and the bottom of the frame is an orange and red nebula. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                    M82: Galaxy with a Supergalactic Wind
    Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, A. Smercina (STScI, Tufts), T. Williams
             (U. Manchester); Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI)

   Explanation: Why is the Cigar Galaxy billowing red smoke? M82, as this
   starburst galaxy is also known, was stirred up by a recent pass near
   large spiral galaxy M81. This doesn't fully explain the source of the
   red-glowing outwardly expanding gas and dust, however. Evidence
   indicates that this gas and dust is being driven out by the combined
   emerging particle winds of many stars, together creating a galactic
   superwind. The dust particles are thought to originate in M82's
   interstellar medium and are actually similar in size to particles in
   cigar smoke. The featured photographic mosaic combines images taken in
   visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope and images taken in
   infrared light from James Webb Space Telescope. It shows the
   light-colored central galaxy nearly edge on across the image center
   with tremendous orange and red colored filaments of gas and dust
   extending both up and down. The filaments extend for over 10,000 light
   years. The 12-million light-year distant Cigar Galaxy is the brightest
   galaxy in the sky in infrared light and can be seen in visible light
   with a small telescope towards the constellation of the Great Bear
   (Ursa Major).

                     Tomorrow's picture: smooth asteroid
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

