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.

                               2026 January 14
   [2]A big spiral galaxy fills the frame, complete with blue spiral arms
    dotted with red dust and nebulas. Above the spiral galaxy is another
   more diffuse galaxy that has faint wisps extending in many directions.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                          M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy
                Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Michael Sleeman

   Explanation: The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only
   30 million [4]light years distant and fully 60 thousand light years
   across, [5]M51, also known as [6]NGC 5194, is one of the brightest and
   most [7]picturesque galaxies on the sky. The [8]featured deep image is
   a digital combination of images taken in different colors over 58 hours
   with a [9]telescope from [10]Lijiang, [11]China. Anyone with a good
   pair of [12]binoculars, however, can see this [13]Whirlpool toward the
   [14]constellation of the Hunting Dogs ([15]Canes Venatici). [16]M51 is
   a [17]spiral galaxy of [18]type Sc and is the dominant member of a
   [19]whole group of galaxies. Astronomers [20]speculate that [21]M51's
   [22]spiral structure is primarily due to its [23]gravitational
   interaction with the smaller galaxy just above it.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2601/M51_Sleeman_2017.jpg
   3. https://astro.sleeman.at/about
   4. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year/en/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Galaxy
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_General_Catalogue
   7. https://www.google.com/search?q=M51+site:apod.nasa.gov
   8. https://astro.sleeman.at/images/25
   9. https://youtu.be/GVZYMl5ahUo
  10. https://youtu.be/sAonx3ih9j0
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binoculars
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210902.html
  14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/constellations/en/
  15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canes_Venatici
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190506.html
  17. https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/S/spiral+galaxy
  18. https://esahubble.org/images/heic9902o/
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M51_Group
  20. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sjyLSEkJMt4/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLCJyjKlikIZnkfWSSreFg4OsD_j9w
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210902.html
  22. https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ESSAYS/Elmgreen/elmgreen.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130514.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260113.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260114
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260115.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/