The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) with its companion NGC 5195, framed in the orientation that makes the pair read as a cosmic question mark — the grand-design spiral forms the curl, and the companion galaxy dots it. The two are in the middle of a close encounter: the bridge of gas and dust connecting them is real tidal debris, and the gravitational tug of NGC 5195 is what winds M51's spiral arms so dramatically. They sit about 30 million light-years away in Canes Venatici, just below the handle of the Big Dipper.

Captured June 21, 2026. Also on AstroBin.

• Coordinates: RA 13h 29m 53s, Dec +47° 11′ 43″ (Canes Venatici)
• Optics: Celestron EdgeHD 9.25 (C925)
• Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro (mono)
• Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 150i