M82 is literally in the middle of a cosmic storm. This galaxy is a place where stars rain down like rain. Thanks to the successive explosions of supernovae and the powerful winds blown by giant stars, star birth here is literally explosive.

These events are so violent that super-strong winds are blown outward from the center of the galaxy. The effect of these winds can be clearly seen in detailed images taken with telescopes. The reddish areas in the image show the radiation emitted by hydrogen gas - that's a lot of energy flowing out there.

And these winds don't just carry empty gas; they are also loaded with heavy elements. These materials are formed in the massive stars in the galaxy and then blown out into space by these winds. And so they spread elsewhere in the universe.

M82's star-making frenzy is expected to last for about 100 million years. The reason for this cosmic chaos is its interaction with the nearby large galaxy M81. M82 is also known as the “Cigar Galaxy” because its shape is a bit like a cigar. It is about 30,000 light-years across and 12 million light-years away from us, near the north of the constellation Big Dipper.

July 9, 2021 Astronomy Photo of the Day (NASA APOD)

 

Image Source & Copyright: Team ARO, Alentejo Remote Observatory

Doesn't it look beautiful like a rainbow?