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Three powerful space observatories reveal the Whirlpool Galaxy as a wonder of star formation and star death in a new video from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which performs the science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope.
The 3-minute series of images opens with a stunning visual-wavelength view of the galaxy, a supernova (star explosion)-rich zone that lies about 30 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the northern constellation Canes Venatici. The Whirlpool Galaxy is officially known by astronomers as M51 or NGC 5194.
"The Whirlpool Galaxy is perhaps the most striking example of a spiral galaxy," Hubble officials say in the video. "Different wavelength observations reveal different structures in the galaxy. In three dimensions, the galaxy's spiral arms whirl through a pancake-shaped disk." [When Galaxies Collide: Amazing Hubble Telescope Photos]
The video steps through different wavelength observations of the galaxy in visible light (Hubble), infrared light (Spitzer Space Telescope) and X-rays (Chandra X-Ray Observatory), explaining what each space telescope shows astronomers.
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