Messier 81 and 82 are a pair of galaxies in Ursa Major (near the Big Dipper). They are about 12 million light years away.
M81 (NGC 3031) is the beautiful spiral galaxy on the right.
M82 (NGCC 3034, also known as the Cigar Galaxy) on the left is a "starburst galaxy" which is undergoing an exceptionally high rate of star formation in its core, causing the red filaments of ionized gas radiating into space.
LRGB: 9.2 hr total exposure
Luminance: 22 x 10 min = 3.7 hr
Red: 9 x 8 min + 6 x 10 min = 2.2 hr
Green: 1 x 8 min + 10 x 10 min = 1.8 hr
Blue: 9 x 10 min = 1.5 hr
Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106EDX III
Camera: QSI 683wsg-8 ( cooled to -25° C.)
Mount: Paramount MYT