Observer's guide
About Cigar Galaxy
Cigar Galaxy (M82) is catalogued as an irregular galaxy in Ursa Major. Its J2000 position is RA 09:55:52.73, Dec +69:40:45.8, corresponding to 148.9685 degrees RA and 69.6797 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 12,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 11 by 4.6 arcminutes.
Observing tips
This is rated as an easy target at magnitude 8.4. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around February. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 72.3 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
A small telescope under reasonably dark skies is a good starting point; use the live altitude chart to choose its highest point.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is AGN. SIMBAD records the morphology as S. A published radial velocity value is 218.8 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 6199 bibliographic references.
At roughly 11 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 11 by 4.6 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.