This image is a representation of a memory from my childhood that does not exist in a photograph. Ever since I was little I have loved astronomy and that could largely be because my dad also loves astronomy. Anytime there was a meteor shower we would go out to the reservoir and sit on folding chairs or the bed of a pickup truck and look up at the sky to see how many shooting stars we could see. I also remember we would look through a telescope at the moon or at mars and venus. Any time there was a clear sky we would go watch the stars. It is one of my favorite childhood memories. I titled the piece M51a because it is another name for the Whirlpool Galaxy. The Whirlpool Galaxy is one point in the constellation, Canes Venatici. It is a spiral galaxy that is made up of 100 billion stars and is 23.16 million light years away. If you look for a picture of the center of the M51a you will see an amazing center to the galaxy, go ahead and look it up. I learned about the Whirlpool galaxy at the first ever concert I went to. I was with my mom and it was a great learning experience when we got home we had to share what we learned with my dad. Whether looking at the stars or learning about what lies beyond this earth has always been an interest of mine and I love sharing the experience with my family.