VERSION|0.5.1|NAME|David Harper|DATE|1365074038|CONTENT|If you follow the &quot;Observations show&quot; link on the APOD page, you reach the Hubble Heritage web page for M64, which says:
[blockquote]At first glance, M64 appears to be a fairly normal pinwheel-shaped spiral galaxy. As in the majority of galaxies, all of the stars in M64 are rotating in the same direction, clockwise as seen in the Hubble image. However, the interstellar gas in the outer regions of M64 rotates in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in the inner regions.[/blockquote]
So there aren&#039;t two counter-rotating systems of stars.  All the stars are going in the same direction.

The Hubble page goes on to say:
[blockquote]Active formation of new stars is occurring in the shear region where the oppositely rotating gases collide, are compressed, and contract.[/blockquote]
Thus there [b]are[/b] observable fluid dynamics processes occurring, as Steve has described, albeit over [b]very[/b] long timescales because the gas is very tenuous.

Hey, we&#039;ve found something interesting to talk about, and the Rev Lucy&#039;s blatherings have been completely forgotten.  Yay for science :)|IP-ADDRESS|172.20.128.250|MODERATIONFLAG|