Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  IC 4278  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  Whirlpool galaxy
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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy, Mark Eby
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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy, Mark Eby
Powered byPixInsight

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

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Description

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

Located about 23 million light-years from Earth, M51 is a spiral face-on galaxy 60,000 light-years across. The redish color in the arms of the spiral are from HII gas. M51 is believed to be robbing matter from its smaller companion galaxy, NGC 5195, seen just below it. Two other tiny galaxies can be seen near NGC5195 - IC 4278 to the right and IC 4277 to the right and below it. North is at the top.

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