The Whirlpool Galaxy

A photograph created from hours spent under the night sky

14 hours of exposure · 3 nights of imaging · 40 hours spent creating the final image

Four finishes to suit your interior

Classic Poster Print
- Practical, affordable, and securely packaged, it is ideal for smaller budgets.

Eco-friendly FineArt Print
- Premium printing on 200 gsm (200 g/m²) paper, rigid and 0.26 mm thick.
- Sustainable and environmentally responsible, certified FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

Matte Aluminum Dibond
- Rigid and durable, with a matte finish that reduces reflections and helps preserve the details of the background sky and the fine structure of the stars.

Eco-friendly Gallery Print with white wooden frame and protective glazing
- Ready to hang directly on the wall.
- Printed on premium 200 gsm (200 g/m²) paper, rigid and 0.22 mm thick. Sustainable and environmentally responsible, certified FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
- Presented in a white wooden frame and protected by shatterproof Plexiglas.

Every print is ready to be installed

• Wall mounting kit adapted to the chosen medium included
• Full-bleed printing, without borders
• Made to order
• Printed as close as possible to the place of order whenever possible

Approximately 23 million light-years away, in the constellation of Canes Venatici, lies one of the most recognizable spiral galaxies in the night sky: the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51.

This image reveals its majestic spiral arms, vast dust regions, and numerous star-forming regions scattered throughout its structure. But behind this seemingly perfect shape lies a cosmic encounter: M51 is gravitationally interacting with its companion, NGC 5195, whose influence contributes to distorting and sculpting the galaxy's spiral arms.

Original photograph: captured and processed by Astro Artisan

The Whirlpool Galaxy

M51 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 23 million light-years from Earth. It is accompanied by NGC 5195, a small galaxy that has been interacting with it for millions of years.

This gravitational encounter has profoundly shaped the structure of M51. Its spiral arms appear to wind around its core with almost perfect regularity, while the gravitational forces between the two galaxies contribute to reshaping their surroundings.

Through the lens, M51's spiral arms become a true cosmic landscape. The pinkish regions correspond to vast clouds of gas where new stars are forming, while the darker areas reveal immense bands of dust stretching across the galaxy.

The light captured in this photograph began its journey toward us approximately 23 million years ago.

We are therefore not looking at M51 as it is today, but as it was long before the emergence of our own species.

It is this dimension of time that gives astrophotography such a unique place.

From Light to Image

An astrophotograph like this is not the result of a single exposure.

The different exposures are calibrated and then combined to extract the signal accumulated throughout the imaging sessions. The processing then allows the colors, contrast, and details of the galaxy to be gradually refined.

An original photograph captured and processed by Astro Artisan