New Views of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | James Webb Space Telescope

New Views of Galaxy Messier 82 in Ursa Major | James Webb Space Telescope

This video showcases two new Webb views of M82. It is located just 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, M82 is five times as luminous as our home galaxy and forms stars ten times faster. M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because it is forming new stars at a rate much faster than expected for a galaxy of its mass, especially at its center. In visible-light images of M82, the central hotbed of activity is obscured by a network of thick and dusty clouds. 

What caused M82’s burst of star formation? The answer likely lies with its neighbor, the larger spiral galaxy M81. Researchers suspect that the two galaxies have interacted gravitationally, sending gas pouring into M82’s center millions of years ago. The influx of gas provided the raw material for new stars to form—and form they did! M82 is home to more than 100 super star clusters with a portion still in the process of forming. They are blanketed with dense, dusty gas. Super star clusters are more massive and luminous than typical star clusters. These each contain hundreds of thousands of stars.

The James Webb Space Telescope is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Bolatto, N. . Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: June 30, 2025

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