Shedding New Light on the Whirlpool Galaxy

The Whirlpool Galaxy is a magnificent spiral galaxy that has been studied across the electromagnetic spectrum by NASA's Great Observatories. This remarkable video uses two-dimensional images and three-dimensional visualizations to contrast and compare the different views of infrared (Spitzer Space Telescope), visible (Hubble Space Telescope), and X-ray (Chandra X-ray Observatory) observations. Within these spectral bands, each wavelength region illustrates a different component of the stars, gas, and dust that comprise the galaxy. By both separating and combining seven multiwavelength views, astronomers gain a broader and richer look into the detailed structure of a spiral galaxy.

Credits:

Frank Summers, Joseph DePasquale, Dani Player (STScI), Kim Arcand (SAO/CXC), Robert Hurt (Caltech/IPAC)

Music: "Cylinder Five", Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 4.0