Messier 51, aka the “Whirlpool” galaxy”. an image – 4 Feb. 2024
The breath-taking, iconic spiral galaxy Messier 51 reveals its extreme beauty in this picture, with its companion NGC 5195 and many smaller galaxies in the background.
Messier 51 and NGC 5195. 4 Feb. 2024.
The image above comes from the average of 20, 120-second unguided exposures, remotely taken with the ARTEC250+Paramount ME+C3Pro61000EC robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy.
Messier 51 (NGC 5194) is a gorgeous galaxy, which played a key role in the history of astronomy: in 1845, it was the first nebula to reveal a spiral shape to William Parsons, third Earl of Rosse, Ireland, who used a 1.8 m large telescope, the largest telescope in the world from 1845 to 1917.
The main galaxy is clearly interacting with its companion, the galaxy NGC 5195. This makes this couple one of the most studied interacting systems in the sky. Many farther, smaller galaxies are in the background.
In 2011, M 51 hosted the important supernova SN 2011dh.
Messier 51 was discovered by Charles_Messier in 1773 and it is placed at about 20 million lights years from us.
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