Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
GALAXY · the textbook spiral
The galaxy that taught us galaxies have spiral arms: in 1845, Lord Rosse sketched its swirl through a giant telescope long before photography. The Whirlpool's perfect spiral is no accident; a small companion galaxy hangs at the end of one arm, and its gravity stirs the whirlpool like a spoon in coffee, triggering waves of new stars.
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