Whirlpool Galaxy

Object: M51
Object type: Galaxy
Captured: 2025-03-05
Equipment: Celestron 11 Edge HD + Fast Star · Skywatcher EQ6-R-Pro · ZWO 1600MM · ZWO EFW · RGB
Telescope: Celestron 11 Edge HD + Fast Star
Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R-Pro
Camera: ZWO 1600MM
Filter wheel: ZWO EFW
Filter set: RGB
Scope type: SCT
Exposure: lots
Processing: PixInsight

Image license: This gallery image is published under a Creative Commons license.

Wikipedia reference

Whirlpool Galaxy

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a (M51a) or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. It is 31 million lightyears away and 23.58 kiloparsecs (76,900 ly) in diameter.

Constellation: Canes Venatici
Distance: 7.22 ± 2.13 megaparsecs (23.5 ± 6.95 million light-years)
Apparent magnitude (V): 8.4
Type: SA(s)bc pec
Size: 23.58 kpc (76,900 ly)(diameter; 25.0 mag/arcsec B-band isophote)
Apparent size (V): 11.2′ × 6.9′