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| Whirlpool galaxy | |
|---|---|
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| 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 | |
The Whirlpool galaxy, is also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194. It is a large galaxy with well-defined spiral arms, with a smaller companion galaxy. They have been through a collision, and are still interacting.
The Whirlpool was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Different methods put its distance as between 15 to 35 million light-years. Recently it was estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way. Messier 51 is one of the best known galaxies in the sky.
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