Part 9/15:
One of the most iconic galaxies, M51, can be observed with binoculars from dark skies. At just 23 million light-years away, it demonstrates a captivating interaction with a smaller companion galaxy. Its bright, dusty spiral arms are rich in star-forming regions, depicted vividly in colorful images showing pink, blue, and dark dust lanes. M51 measures approximately 60,000 light-years across.