Explanation:
What's lighting up the Cigar Galaxy? M82, as this irregular 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, however. Recent evidence indicates that this gas is being driven out by the combined emerging particle winds of many stars, together creating a galactic "superwind." The above photo highlights a specific color of red light strongly emitted by ionized hydrogen gas, showing detailed filaments of this gas. 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 Ursa Major.
Text from apod.nasa.gov
This photo was taken during february-march , processed in april 2011 in village Khlepcha near Kiev, Ukraine.
Equipment: Telescope SW 25012P 1200 mm f/5, Mount WS-180, camera QSI-583wsg, Baader MPCC. Off-axis guidecamera Orion SSAG.
Ha and LRGB filter set Astronomik.
H-a: 14*15 min., bin. 1x1
L: 9*10 min., bin 1x1 , RGB: 9*10 min., bin.2x2 in each filter.
North at left Crop center, size 70% .
Full version: http://www.flickr.com/photos/olegbr/5619183120/sizes/o/