Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  IC 4277  ·  IC 4278  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  Whirlpool Galaxy
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M51, GeOK
M51
Powered byPixInsight

M51

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M51, GeOK
M51
Powered byPixInsight

M51

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

M51a, sometimes called the Whirlpool Galaxy or NGC 5194, is seen as a face on spiral galaxy that is about 28 Mly away with a diameter of about 76 Kly.  Smaller M51b or NGC 5195 crossed paths with M51 about 550 million years ago and the two galaxies are in the process of combining.  A faint arm of stars appears being flung away from and below M51b.

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

M51, GeOK