The Whirlpool Galaxy, M51M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, roughly 23 to 31 million light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. That distance is almost impossible to process. Yet here it is, rendered in remarkable detail. The larger spiral galaxy shows clearly defined arms in blue, dense with star forming regions, while its smaller companion NGC 5195 glows a warm golden brown. A tidal bridge of stars and dust connects the two, evidence of a gravitational interaction that