Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2025 May 22
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                           Curly Spiral Galaxy M63
              Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Alberto Pisabarro

   Explanation: A bright spiral galaxy of the northern sky, [5]Messier 63
   is nearby, about 30 million light-years distant toward the loyal
   constellation Canes Venatici. Also cataloged as NGC 5055, the majestic
   [6]island universe is nearly 100,000 light-years across, about the size
   of [7]our own Milky Way. Its bright core [8]and majestic spiral arms
   lend the galaxy its popular name, The Sunflower Galaxy. [9]This
   exceptionally deep exposure also follows faint loops and curling star
   streams far into the galaxy's halo. Extending nearly 180,000
   light-years from the galactic center, the star streams are likely
   remnants of [10]tidally disrupted satellites of M63. Other satellite
   galaxies of M63 can be spotted in [11]the remarkable wide-field image,
   including [12]dwarf galaxies, which could contribute to M63's star
   streams in the next few billion years.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/M63_HaLRGB_Apod2048.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://app.astrobin.com/u/silkpericles#gallery
   5. http://messier.seds.org/m/m063.html
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100109.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250513.html
   8. https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1536a/
   9. https://app.astrobin.com/u/silkpericles?i=cbn235#gallery
  10. https://www.cosmotography.com/images/galaxy_cannibalism.html
  11. https://www.astrobin.com/xeei1h/F/
  12. https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.04984
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250521.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250522
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250523.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/