Deep Sky Videos is a series of films about astronomy.

We cover all sorts of topics, including a fun series inside the world's biggest and best telescopes.

But our raison d'être is making 110 films about every item in the Messier Catalogue - a series of objects in space listed by the French astronomer Charles Messier.

Here's a video I made about Messier, including a visit to his grave in Paris.

Today we posted our 49th Messier video, all about the galaxy he listed at number 82 (or M82). It's also known as the Cigar Galaxy or NGC 3030, where NGC means New General Catalogue.

The latest video features a comparison between the galaxy's lively core and a bag of microwave popcorn. It features Professor Paul Crowther from the University of Sheffield.

Messier 82, the Cigar Galaxy, or NGC 3034 ---- Professor Paul Crowther discusses its similarity to a bag of microwave popcorn. More footage from this interview at: http://youtu.be/nzLQuvIbyko This is our nearest "starburst galaxy". See all our videos on Messier Objects: http://bit.ly/MessierObjects Professor Crowther is based at the University of Sheffield.

There is also some left-over material I posted in a second video which has some cool stuff about hypervelocity stars.

A bit extra from our M82 interview with Paul Crowther, including elusive hypervelocity starts which can escape the galaxy! Main video: http://youtu.be/X0PgDIHBs7s See all our videos on Messier Objects: http://bit.ly/MessierObjects Professor Crowther is based at the University of Sheffield.

Here's a playlist of all the Messier Objects we have covered so far.