Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  IC 4263  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5169  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  NGC 5198  ·  Whirlpool galaxy

Image of the day 03/10/2016

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Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy, rflinn68
Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy
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Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy

Image of the day 03/10/2016

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy, rflinn68
Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy
Powered byPixInsight

Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy

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Description

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Recently it was estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way, but different methods yield distances between 15 and 35 million light-years. Messier 51 is one of the best known galaxies in the sky. The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195, are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars.--Wiki

Being perhaps my favorite galaxy, outside of our own Milky Way of course, I cant resist shooting this galaxy every year. After my primary target had gotten too low in the west, I decided to see what I could get on this galaxy with my 4" apo. This is one of those targets I just never get tired of seeing.

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    Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy, rflinn68
    Original
    Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy, rflinn68
    B
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    Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy, rflinn68
    C

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Messier 51, Whirlpool Galaxy, rflinn68