This is one of the early spectra obtained with the SPIRE fourier transform spectrometer on Herschel. It depicts the spectrum of M82, the nearest starburst galaxy. The accompanying image is a spectacular three-colour composite picture of the M81 and M82 pair of galaxies also obtained with the SPIRE camera.

The SPIRE spectrum of M82 shows strong emission lines from carbon monoxide (CO) over the whole wavelength range, as well as emission lines from atomic carbon and ionized nitrogen.

Messier 82 (M82), is a prototype starburst galaxy about 12 million light years away in the constellation of Ursa Major. This galaxy is famous for its spectacular bi-polar outflow or "super-wind", gas and dust driven outwards by stellar winds and supernovae in the galaxies central regions, where stars are produced at a very high rate. M82 is part of an interacting group of galaxies including the large spiral M81 from which material is being stripped by the gravitational interaction with M82.

This SPIRE FTS observation was carried out as part of the performance verification of the observatory. The scientific rights of this observation are owned by the Nearby Galaxies Key Programme consortia, led by C. Wilson.