                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2026 September 16
     Hubble and JWST image of M64. A massive spiral galaxy glows with a
   yellow core, surrounded by arms full of orange-brown dust and pink and
     blue patches of star formation. Framed by a haze of dark dust, the
         galaxy shines against black space dotted with a few stars.

                             Webb's View of M64
     Image Credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, F. Belfiore (ESO), J. Lee (STScI), A.
                     Leroy (OSU), and D. Thilker (JHU);
            Image Processing: G. Kober (NASA/Catholic University)
         Text: Keighley Rockcliffe (NASA GSFC, UMBC CSST, CRESST II)

   Explanation: Sometimes where Hubble finds darkness, Webb sees light. An
   example is today’s composite images of Messier 64 (M64), a nearby
   spiral galaxy of many names. The dark band of dust partially blocking
   its bright core earned it the moniker “the Black Eye Galaxy.” Webb’s
   Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) sees that dust, shown in red, as it
   absorbs and re-emits light from surrounding newborn stars. These young
   stars are embedded in pink star-forming regions in the secondary
   Hubble-only image. M64’s inner and outer gas regions counter-rotate,
   creating regions of increased star formation where the two gas
   “currents” meet and compress. A merger between M64 and a smaller galaxy
   was likely the cause of the opposing motion of the outer gas. Spiral
   galaxies were once thought to have peaceful histories. M64 was key
   evidence that spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way, can and do
   experience mergers. Webb’s view of M64 will tell astronomers about the
   structure, motion, and composition of the galaxy’s dust and add context
   to the galaxy’s merger history and evolution.

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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