Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 June 13 [2]The featured image shows the nearby Whirlpool Galaxy cataloged as Messier 51. Detail spiral arms of this spiral galaxy are visible, as well as its interaction with a smaller galaxy on the image left. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy from Hubble Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]Hubble, [6]HLA; Processing & Copyright: [7]Bernard Miller Explanation: The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million [8]light years distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, [9]M51, also known as [10]NGC 5194, is one of the brightest and most [11]picturesque galaxies on the sky. The [12]featured image is a digital combination of images taken in different colors by the Earth-orbiting [13]Hubble Space Telescope, highlighting many sharp features. Anyone with a good pair of [14]binoculars, however, can see this [15]Whirlpool toward the [16]constellation of the Hunting Dogs ([17]Canes Venatici). [18]M51 is a [19]spiral galaxy of [20]type Sc and is the dominant member of a [21]whole group of galaxies. Astronomers [22]speculate that [23]M51's [24]spiral structure is primarily due to its [25]gravitational interaction with the smaller galaxy on the image left. Tomorrow's picture: pinnacle satellites __________________________________________________________________ [26]< | [27]Archive | [28]Submissions | [29]Index | [30]Search | [31]Calendar | [32]RSS | [33]Education | [34]About APOD | [35]Discuss | [36]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell ([40]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [41]Specific rights apply. [42]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC & [46]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2206/M51_HubbleMiller_5688.jpg 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://www.esa.int/ 5. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/story/index.html 6. https://hla.stsci.edu/ 7. mailto: bgmiller011 at cox.net 8. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/ 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Galaxy 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_General_Catalogue 11. https://www.google.com/search?q=M51+site:apod.nasa.gov 12. http://www.azstarman.net/CDK/images2/HUBBLE_M51_PS1_FULL.jpg 13. https://www.stsci.edu/hst 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binoculars 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210902.html 16. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/ 17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canes_Venatici 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190506.html 19. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/spiral+galaxy 20. http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html 21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M51_Group 22. https://i0.wp.com/theverybesttop10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Ten-Cats-Wondering-What-Is-for-Dinner-in-Deep-Thinking-Ways-9-600x483.jpg 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210902.html 24. https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ESSAYS/Elmgreen/elmgreen.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130514.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220612.html 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 35. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220613 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220614.html 37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 44. https://www.nasa.gov/ 45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 46. http://www.mtu.edu/