Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  IC 4277  ·  IC 4278  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  Whirlpool Galaxy
M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Ken Yasue
M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy
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M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy

M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Ken Yasue
M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy
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M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy

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Description

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51a, NGC 5194) is a large, spiral galaxy with an active Seyfert 2 galactic nucleus, located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was the first galaxy classified as a spiral and is known for its interaction with the companion galaxy NGC 5195. It is easily observable by amateur astronomers, and this pair has been extensively studied by professionals to understand the galaxy's structure, spiral arms, and interactions. As a relatively nearby and well-known interactive system, it is a popular subject for galaxy interaction models.

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M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Ken Yasue