Astronomy Picture of the Day · October 4, 2001

M74: The Perfect Spiral

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 4, 2001 is “M74: The Perfect Spiral,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Gemini Observatory , GMOS Team. The original explanation runs about 151 words.

From the explanation

“If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island universe of about 100 billion stars, 30 million light-years away toward the constellation Pisces , NGC 628 or M74 presents a gorgeous face-on view to earthbound astronomers.”

— APOD editors, October 4, 2001

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: October 4, 2001
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Gemini Observatory , GMOS Team
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 151 words

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Topics in this entry

Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: October 4 in other years

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, October 4, 2001 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2001-october-4-m74-the-perfect-spiral

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.