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NASA sheds light on the Whirlpool Galaxy through a series of unseen images. Seen the viral pics yet?

NASA shared that the Whirlpool Galaxy is about 30 million light-years from Earth. The viral pictures of this galaxy by the space agency will stun you.

Published on: Mar 19, 2024, 14:49:06 IST
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NASA took to Instagram to share a series of pictures that show the beauty of the incredible Whirlpool Galaxy. The space agency shared that while some are composite images created with data from Chandra X-ray Observatory, others are prepared using Hubble Space Telescope’s data.

NASA shared this image of the Whirlpool Galaxy on Instagram. This picture, along with a few other photos, has gone viral. (Instagram/@nasa)
NASA shared this image of the Whirlpool Galaxy on Instagram. This picture, along with a few other photos, has gone viral. (Instagram/@nasa)

“Shedding some light on spiral galaxies. At a distance of about 30 million light-years from Earth, the Whirlpool Galaxy is one of the brightest spirals in the night sky. This composite image of the Whirlpool Galaxy shows the majesty of its structure in a dramatic new way through several of NASA’s orbiting observatories,” NASA posted and wrote about the first image of the series on Instagram. In the following line, they urge netizens to “swipe through different spectra” to see the galaxy through “new lenses”.

Also Read: 5 amazing pictures of the Sun by NASA that will leave you transfixed

“X-ray image of the Whirlpool galaxy. Chandra’s image highlights in purple the energetic central regions of the two interacting galaxies that are collectively called the Whirlpool Galaxy,” NASA added about the second image.

Take a look at the entire series of images of Whirlpool Galaxy here:

The post was shared about ten hours ago. Since then, the share has accumulated nearly 7.5 lakh likes, and the numbers are increasing. The post has further prompted people to share varied comments.

What did Instagram users say about this post about the spiral galaxy?

“Our galaxy is also a spiral galaxy, right?” asked an Instagram user. NASA replied, “Correct! The Milky Way is also a spiral galaxy”.

Another shared, “I want to go there”.

Also Read: NASA Hubble Telescope captures Virgo galaxy cluster that is 52 million light-years away. See pic

A third added, “The images sent by NASA are extremely complex. Each image requires years of interpretation by scientists. Thank you, NASA”.

A fourth wrote, “These are so beautiful”.

What are your thoughts on these images of the Whirlpool Galaxy shared by NASA? Did the pictures leave you in awe?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More