The Whirlpool Galaxy
The galaxy's massive center, the bright ball of light in the center of the photograph, is about 80 light-years across and has a brightness of about 100 million suns.
Astronomers estimate that it is about 400 million years old and has a mass 40 million times larger than our Sun.
The concentration of stars is about 5, 000 times higher than in our solar neighborhood, the Milky Way Galaxy. We would see a continuously bright sky if we lived near the bright center.
Credit:
Nino Panagia ( Space Telescope Science Institute and European Space Agency) and NASA
About the Image
About the Object
| Name: | IRAS 13277+4727, M 51, Messier 51, NGC 5194, Whirlpool Galaxy |
| Type: | • Galaxies Images/Videos |
