Astronomy Picture of the Day

If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island universe of about 100 billion stars,   M74: The Perfect Spiral Credit & Copyright: Descubre Foundation, Calar Alto Observatory, OAUV, DSA, V. Peris (OAUV), J. L. Lamadrid (CEFCA), J. Harvey (SSRO), S. Mazlin (SSRO), I. Rodriguez (PTeam), O. L. (PTeam), J. Conejero (PixInsight). Explanation: If not perfect, then this spiral galaxy is at least one of the most photogenic. An island ... Full Story