Messier 82 - the Cigar Galaxy

AKA: NGC 3034 | UGC 5322 | PGC 28655, J2000 RA: 09h55m52.219s, Dec: +69°40m46.93s, Mag: 8.4, Distance: 3.7 Mpc, Size: 9x4 arc min, Type: I0.

This peculiar type galaxy forms part of a group of galaxies with larger M81. At some point in the past, M81 interacted with this galaxy and greatly distorted it. Because of that interaction, this galaxy is experiencing a huge surge in star formation and is the prototype for the class of starbursting galaxies.