The Whirlpool Galaxy and Companion Poster

This sharpest-ever image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51 (NGC 5194,) and Companion Galaxy (NGC 5195,) taken in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, illustrates a spiral galaxy's grand design, from its curving spiral arms, where young stars reside, to its yellowish central core, a home of older stars. The Whirlpool is one of astronomy's galactic darlings. Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs), the Whirlpool's beautiful face-on view and closeness to Earth allow astronomers to study a classic spiral galaxy's structure and star-forming processes. Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) More information about this image at: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/12/image/a/