Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

M51: The Center Of The Whirlpool

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 27, 2000 is “M51: The Center Of The Whirlpool,” an image. It is credited to Credit: N. Panagia ( STScI , ESA ), NASA. The original explanation runs about 131 words.

M51: The Center Of The Whirlpool
Credit: N. Panagia ( STScI , ESA ), NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

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. Viewed face-on in the constellation Canes Venatici , the swirling arcs of this galaxy’s spiral arms have inspired its popular name, The Whirlpool Galaxy .”

— APOD editors, May 27, 2000

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
May 27, 2000
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 131 words

All of May 2000 → · 2000 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: May 27 in other years

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Source

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.