Astronomy Picture of the Day
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Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2014 May 20
In the Center of Spiral Galaxy M61
Image Credit:
ESA/Hubble,
NASA;
Acknowledgements:
G. Chapdelaine & L. Limatola
Explanation:
M61 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the nearby
Virgo Cluster of Galaxies.
Visible in
M61
are a host of features common to spiral
galaxies: bright
spiral arms, a
central bar,
dust lanes, and
bright knots of stars.
M61, also known as
NGC 4303, in similar to our own
Milky Way Galaxy.
M61 was discovered by telescope in 1779
twice on the same day,
but one observer initially mistook the galaxy for a comet.
Light from
M61 takes about 55 million years to reach us.
The
above image of the central regions of
M61 was taken with the
Hubble Space Telescope
and adapted for release as part of the
Hubble's Hidden Treasures image processing competition.
Tomorrow's picture: cloud swirls
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MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (
UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman
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