The Vortex Galaxy is a shimmering jewel about 30 million light-years from Earth. NASA's observatories in space reveal the complex and spectacular structure of the Vortex Galaxy.

Each spectrum tells a different story as we explore the intricate beauty of the galaxy. X-ray data, as seen through the eyes of NASA Chandra, reveals the presence of unusual phenomena inside the galaxy, such as black holes and neutron stars. It also reveals the distribution of hot gas that fills the space between stars.

With optical data, through the lens of NASA Hubble, we see how the spiral arms dance with stars and dust-covered gas. Infrared emission, from the perspective of the Spitzer Space Telescope, reveals details hidden deep within the galaxy that escape our eyes. And GALEX's lens, which captures ultraviolet energy, reveals the glow of young, fiery stars.

The Vortex Galaxy illuminates the mysteries of the deep universe with this colourful picture brought together by different observatories.

Image descriptions:

1- Irresistible composite image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, composed of two galaxies. The larger galaxy glows in blue tones and is highlighted by bright purple stars. The other galaxy glows in green tones and is highlighted by red details.

2- The X-ray image provided by Chandra highlights in purple the energetic central regions of two interacting galaxies. These centres are located within the galaxy collectively known as the Whirlpool Galaxy.

3- Optical image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, provided by Hubble. This image shows the long ribbons of stars and gas of the spiral arms covered in dust. The galaxy's interaction with its companion galaxy shows how various bright and young star clusters (such as those outlined in green) trigger star formation in Whirlpool.

4- The infrared image provided by Spitzer reveals the stars of the Whirlpool Galaxy and the red glow of interstellar dust clouds. These dust clouds are usually composed of various carbon-based organic molecules.

5- Ultraviolet images obtained using blue-coloured data from GALEX (Galaxy Evolution Exploration) show that there is very little star formation in the companion galaxy Whirlpool Galaxy.