                        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.

                                2024 April 15
   A picture of the unusual galaxy M82 is on the left, while the center is
     expanding and shown in a JWST image on the right. Many red-glowing
    filaments eminate out from the plane of the spiral galaxy. Please see
               the explanation for more detailed information.

                    The Cigar Galaxy from Hubble and Webb
         Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Alberto Bolatto (UMD)

   Explanation: Something strange happened to this galaxy, but what? Known
   as the Cigar Galaxy and cataloged as M82, red glowing gas and dust are
   being cast out from the center. Although this starburst galaxy was
   surely stirred up by a recent pass near its neighbor, large spiral
   galaxy M81, this doesn't fully explain the source of the red-glowing
   outwardly expanding gas and dust. Evidence indicates that this material
   is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds of many
   stars, together creating a galactic superwind. In the featured images,
   a Hubble Space Telescope image in visible light is shown on the left,
   while a James Webb Space Telescope image of the central region in
   infrared light is shown on the right. Detailed inspection of the new
   Webb image shows, unexpectedly, that this red-glowing dust is
   associated with hot plasma. Research into the nature of this strange
   nearby galaxy will surely continue.

   Total Eclipse Imagery: Notable Submissions to APOD Tomorrow's picture:
                                hot star mess
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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.

