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Whirlpool Galaxy
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Whirlpool Galaxy
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation
Canes Venatici
Right ascension
13h 29m 52.7s
Declination
+47° 11' 43?
Redshift
463 ± 3 km/s
Distance
23 ± 4 Mly (7.1 ± 1.2 Mpc)
Type
SA(s)bc pec
Apparent dimensions (V)
11'.2 × 6'.9
Apparent magnitude (V)
8.4
Notable features
Interacting with NGC 5195
Other designations
Question Mark Galaxy, Rosse's Galaxy, M51a, NGC 5194, UGC 8493, PGC 47404, VV 001a, VV 403, Arp 85, GC 3572
See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies
The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. Recently it was estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way Galaxy, but different methods yield distances between 15 and 35 million ly. Messier 51 is one of the best known galaxies in the sky.The galaxy and its companion (NGC 5195) are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy is also a popular target for professional astronomers, who study it to further understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions.
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Created By:
System
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