How does a telescope work? What else do we know about the Whirlpool Galaxy? Now that you've seen "Piercing the Sky," visit these pages to find out more about galaxies and telescopes.
Hubble Reveals the Heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy. A detailed view of the Whirlpool galaxy's spiral arms and dust clouds:http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2001/10/
The Hubble Heritage Project: More pictures and information about the Whirlpool Galaxy:
http://heritage.stsci.edu/2001/10/supplemental.html
Hubblesite's NewsCenter galaxy section: The complete collection of Hubble's galaxy news release images:http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/image_category/galaxy/
Cosmic Collision: A multimedia show about galaxy collision and the fate of our own Milky Way:http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/cosmic_collision/
The following link will take you out of HubbleSite:
Amazing Space's "Capture the Cosmos" galaxy section: Online adventures, pictures, and fun facts:http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/capture/galaxies/
The following links will take you out of HubbleSite:
Take a historical tour of humankind's celestial spy shop at Amazing Space's "Online Explorations: Telescopes from the Ground Up":http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/groundup/
Check out the astronomy section of the Birr Castle Web site for more information on Lord Rosse and his astronomical adventures:http://www.birrcastle.com/telescopeHistory.asp
An amateur astronomer of 50 years introduces us to 10 important refracting telescopes throughout history:http://www.labbey.com/Telescopes/GR.html
Find out how the major types of telescopes work and what makes a great telescope with this guide by a college science professor:http://www.astronomynotes.com/telescop/s1.htm
Lord Rosse's sketch of M51: Birr Castle Archives
100-inch Hooker Telescope at Mt. Wilson: Larry Adkins:
http://www.cerritos.edu/ladkins/gallery/MtWilson/100inch_scope.htm
Images of Edwin Hubble: Huntington Library
Great Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda (M31): Robert Gendler:
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M31Page.html
Edwin Hubble's M31 Cepheid discovery "VAR!" plate: Courtesy of the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington
Ground-based image of M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy: Travis Rector & Monica Ramirez (NOAO):
http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_noao.html
Wide-angled ground-based view of M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy: Ron Wodasky:
http://www.wodaski.com
Music: Music by Mark Petersen:
http://www.lochness.com