Webb image archive
M82 Cigar Galaxy (NIRCam Image)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently observed edge-on starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82), nicknamed the Cigar Galaxy. Webb’s near-infrared-light view is a snapshot...
- Date
- Jun 23, 2026
- Observatory
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Credit
- NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI
- Archive ID
- m82-cigar-galaxy-nircam-image
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently observed edge-on starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82), nicknamed the Cigar Galaxy. Webb’s near-infrared-light view is a snapshot in time, revealing a scene that has been evolving over a couple hundred million years. In near-infrared light, astronomers can see the galaxy’s distended disk structure and millions of individual stars — approximately 16.5 million — for the first time.
Webb’s imaging survey of the galaxy is helping astronomers investigate the formation history of M82 and will also shed light on the current processes occurring within the starburst galaxy.
Image Details
About the Object
| R.A. Position | 09:55:52.0 |
|---|---|
| Dec. Position | 69:40:48.99 |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | 12 million light-years |
| Dimensions | This image is 9 arcminutes across (about 32,000 light-years) |
About the Data
| Data Description | This image was created with Webb data from proposal: 5145 (A. Smercina) |
|---|---|
| Instrument | JWST>NIRCam |
| Exposure Dates | JWST> 15 March 2025 |
| Filters | JWST> F115W, F200W, F335M, F444W |