APOD: Messier 63: The Sunflower Galaxy

Messier 63 is a bright spiral galaxy seen in the Northern sky, and it is located about 25 million light years out from Earth. It can be seen in the constellation of Canes Venatici and is also known, scientifically, as NGC 5055. This galaxy is a whopping 100,000 light years across, which is roughly the size of our own Milky Way. This galaxy is called the Sunflower Galaxy because of its noticeable yellow tinge to the core and the pink star forming regions. Although those aren't the typical colors of a sunflower, it shows a familiar resemblance. This picture caught my eye due to its sheer beauty and contrast of colors that it almost made me think that it was a drawing or a depiction done electronically; it is hard to believe how beautiful our universe can be.