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 (NGC 5194) Latest version, Doug Azwell
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M51 (NGC 5194) Latest version

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M51 (NGC 5194) Latest version, Doug Azwell
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M51 (NGC 5194) Latest version

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Description

M51 (also known as NGC 5194, or commonly as the Whirlpool Galaxy) is one of my favorite objects. I've always enjoyed seeing good shots of this galaxy which capture its subtle beauty and complexity.

This unusual galaxy is located in Canes Vanatici and is some 23 million light-years away. It has excellent star forming and relection nebula within its spiral arms and is a quite actively galaxy in this regard, likely due to interaction with the smaller galaxy nearby. In excellently detailed shots taken using the Hubble Space Telescope, it has numerous dust lanes and a well developed core, likely housing a strong black hole. This is a very commonly photographed object by amateurs due to its brightness and ease of capture.

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M51 (NGC 5194) Latest version, Doug Azwell