Astronomy Picture of the Day · April 25, 1996

In the Center of the Whirlpool

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 25, 1996 is “In the Center of the Whirlpool,” an image. It is credited to Credit: N. Panagia (STScI, ESA), NASA. The original explanation runs about 126 words.

From the explanation

“In the center of M51 , a spiral galaxy 23 million light-years away, astronomers have identified a dense region of young stars. The graceful swirling arcs of this galaxy’s spiral arms have inspired its popular name, “The Whirlpool Galaxy” .”

— APOD editors, April 25, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: April 25, 1996
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: N. Panagia (STScI, ESA), NASA
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 126 words

All of April 1996 → · 1996 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: April 25 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, April 25, 1996 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-1996-april-25-in-the-center-of-the-whirlpool

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.