The stunning shots of a freewheeling galaxy from 27m years away

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And these stunning snapshots of the Pinwheel galaxy, or to give it it's technical name, Messier 101, are providing the experts at NASA witheven more information about the chances of life in the Universe.

In the meantime, the pictures give us yet another reminder of the glorious spectacles out there on the final frontier.

27million light-years away and counting: The Pinwheel galaxy

The galaxy was first discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, and NASA's picture, taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope, has been colour-altered to show its chemical make-up.

The blue areas within the galaxy are are carbon-containing molecules which, in the right circumstances, have the potential to support life.

The reddish areas on the outskirts are thought to be where the organic materials within the galaxy are being stripped away by harsh radiation from distant stars and galaxies.

Anyone worried about a similar fate occurring on the Earth can rest assured we are nestled safely away in the third 'arm' of our little spot in the universe, the Milky Way galaxy.