Astrophotographer Ronald Brecher has captured a gorgeous view of the 'Sunflower Galaxy' (Messier 63) from his backyard observatory near the city of Guelph in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Brecher's deep-sky portrait reveals incredible detail in the arms of the spiral galaxy, the patterning and structure of which bear a striking resemblance to the head of a cosmic sunflower. M63 can be seen shining with the radiation cast out by a multitude of giant newly-birthed white-blue stars, the light from which travelled for some 27 million light-years to reach Earth, according to NASA.
