Astronomy Picture of the Day · May 20, 2006

Elliptical Galaxy M87

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 20, 2006 is “Elliptical Galaxy M87,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler). The original explanation runs about 113 words.

From the explanation

“In spiral galaxies , majestic winding arms of young stars and interstellar gas and dust rotate in a flat disk around a bulging galactic nucleus. But elliptical galaxies seem to be simpler.”

— APOD editors, May 20, 2006

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: May 20, 2006
Type: Image
Credit: Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 113 words

All of May 2006 → · 2006 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 20 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, May 20, 2006 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2006-may-20-elliptical-galaxy-m87

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.