M82: The “marquee” galaxy
September 2012: An unexpected, almost electric display makes this star city an unusual target.
Contributed by Stephen James O'Meara
Published:
July 23, 2012
It’s hard to come away from a star party without feeling inspired, especially from shared experiences with others. Consider the February 2012 Winter Star Party (WSP) in the Florida Keys, where Vic Menard of Bradenton, Florida, shared a peculiar visual phenomenon associated with starburst galaxy M82 in Ursa Major. If you sweep your eye across the galaxy’s major axis, he said, beads of “starlight” pop in and out of view like “twinkle lights on a Christmas tree.” The puzzle is that images of M82 show no obvious stars projected against the galaxy’s bright center.
Astronomy magazine subscribers can read the full column for free. Just make sure you're registered with the website.
|
You are currently not logged in. This article is only available to Astronomy magazine subscribers.
Already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine?
If you are already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine you must log into your account to view this article. If you do not have an account you will
need to regsiter for one. Registration is FREE and only takes a couple minutes.
Non-subscribers, Subscribe TODAY and save!
|
|
Get instant access to subscriber content on Astronomy.com!
- Access our interactive Atlas of the Stars
- Get full access to StarDome PLUS
- Columnist articles
- Search and view our equipment review archive
- Receive full access to our Ask Astro answers
- BONUS web extras not included in the magazine
- Much more!
|