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Space
Space
Science
Chelsea Gohd

The Whirlpool Galaxy comes alive | Space photo of the day for May 13, 2026

A section of M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. (Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Pedrini, A. Adamo (Stockholm University) and the FEAST JWST team)

The Whirlpool Galaxy sprawls across the cosmos in this striking new snapshot from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

The galaxy, formally known as M51 (Messier 51), stretches out its spiral arms, glowing brightly in the darkness of space. While the galaxy's many limbs have been spotted before by the Hubble Space Telescope and even amateur astronomers, this image captures a uniquely striking view of its galactic beauty.

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