Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  IC 4277  ·  IC 4278  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  Whirlpool Galaxy
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M51, Nick Martin
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M51

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M51, Nick Martin
Powered byPixInsight

M51

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)

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Description

M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. This grand design spiral galaxy is located 31 million light-years from Earth. It is interacting with a smaller galaxy, NGC5195. It is composed of young, hot, blue stars, and red nebulous star-forming regions.

The light that I captured to make this image left this galaxy 28 million years before primates started to evolve into humans. Given what has happened on Earth in the past 2 million years, what do you think has happened in this galaxy since this light made it's 31 million-year journey to my backyard?

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M51, Nick Martin