Hold the cosmos in your hands.
Before the days of high-speed internet, the best way to see the latest robotic exploration images from the Viking and Voyager missions was to write to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and ask for a press packet. We've recreated that thrilling, tactile experience with our exclusive line of high-quality physical photo prints.
This 8.5" x 11" print features M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy. Located roughly 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is a stunning "grand design" spiral galaxy viewed completely face-on from Earth. Its beautiful, sweeping spiral arms are packed with bright pink star-forming regions and sweeping lanes of dark cosmic dust. But M51 isn't alone! At the end of one of its massive arms sits a smaller, yellowish companion galaxy known as NGC 5195. Over hundreds of millions of years, the immense gravity of this smaller galaxy has been pulling and distorting the Whirlpool's outer arm in a slow-motion cosmic tug-of-war. Produced on premium one-sided gloss paper, this piece delivers stunning clarity and vibrant colors on the front.
On the reverse side, you'll find an engaging scientific description of this galactic interaction, along with the exact Bracken Observatory equipment and exposure specs used to capture the shot—including 12 hours and 6 minutes of total exposure time using our RASA 11" telescope—just like the classic JPL media packets of the 1980s.
Whether you're an educator looking for engaging classroom materials, a parent sharing the wonders of the universe with your kids, or an astronomy enthusiast wanting a beautiful physical print to frame, this is the perfect way to experience the cosmos away from a screen.
Product Details:
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Dimensions: 8.5" x 11" (Standard Letter Size)
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Material: Premium one-sided gloss photo paper
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Features: High-resolution image on the front; science facts, shot specs, and an interactive QR code to the online showroom on the back
🔭 From the Desk of Paul Bracken:
"M51 is one of the most mesmerizing galaxies to photograph because you are literally capturing two galaxies interacting. The way NGC 5195 tugs on that outer spiral arm is a perfect demonstration of gravity on a massive, cosmic scale. We put over 12 hours of exposure time into this image with the RASA 11 to really pull out the faint dust and those bright pink star-forming regions. It looks absolutely spectacular as a physical print, making it one of the absolute best additions to any space lover's collection."
