Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  M 51  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  Whirlpool galaxy
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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone, Douglas J Struble
M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone
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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone, Douglas J Struble
M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone
Powered byPixInsight

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone

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Description

Broadband is the hardest deep space astrophotography for me here in my red zone. I piled on more integration time adding it on to last year's data, as this may be the last time I work on M51 from here.

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Its distance is estimated to be between 15 and 35 million light-years.

The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195, are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy has been extensively observed by professional astronomers, who study it to understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions.

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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB from a White Zone, Douglas J Struble

In these public groups

Messier Objects