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The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51, M51, or NGC 5194) is a classic spiral galaxy located in the Canes Venatici constellation. It was discovered by Charles Messier on October 13, 1773.
Info on Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirpool Galaxy is one of the brightest, most compelling galaxies in the sky, visible with binoculars. The spiral galactic structure was first observed in this galaxy, which is the dominant member of the M51 group of galaxies.
Its companion galaxy, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Méchain. Sometimes M51 is used to refer to the pair of galaxies, in which case the individual galaxies may be referred to as M51A (NGC 5194) and M51B (NGC 5195). The galaxy is less than 37 million light years away from Earth — some measurements put the distance at only 15 million.
In 2005 a supernova was observed in the Whirlpool Galaxy, peaking at apparent magnitude 14.
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