Browse All : Canes Venatici of M51

First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy

Title	First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy
Description	NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of the "Whirlpool Galaxy," revealing strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and has the same orientation and size as the Spitzer infrared image, measuring 9.9 by 13.7 arcminutes (north up). Also a four-color composite, the visible light image shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. Particularly puzzling are the large number of thin filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional, astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Title	First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy
Description	NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of the "Whirlpool Galaxy," revealing strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and has the same orientation and size as the Spitzer infrared image, measuring 9.9 by 13.7 arcminutes (north up). Also a four-color composite, the visible light image shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. Particularly puzzling are the large number of thin filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional, astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Title	First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy
Description	NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of the "Whirlpool Galaxy," revealing strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and has the same orientation and size as the Spitzer infrared image, measuring 9.9 by 13.7 arcminutes (north up). Also a four-color composite, the visible light image shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. Particularly puzzling are the large number of thin filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional, astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Title	Visible-Infrared Whirlpool
Description	This animation transitions from the more familiar visible light image of the "Whirlpool Galaxy" to the dramatic new view captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Revealed are strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and is a four-color composite showing light from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light of wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. In the transition from the visible to the infrared view, the dust lanes seen as dark streaks to the human eye become vivid filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers, alike, and, was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Name	Whirlpool Galaxy (M51): A Classic Beauty
Category	Normal Galaxies & Starburst Galaxies
Release Date	December 10, 2007

Swirling Galaxy Parents Generations of Stars in Its Center

Title	Swirling Galaxy Parents Generations of Stars in Its Center

Hubble Reveals the Heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy

Title	Hubble Reveals the Heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Title	Hubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
General Information	What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Back to top [ #top ]

Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova

Title	Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova

Title	Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova

Title	Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova

Title	Hubble Pinpoints Doomed Star that Explodes as Supernova

Hubble Observes the Supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy

Title	Hubble Observes the Supernova in the Whirlpool Galaxy

Title	M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
Explanation	Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's bowl, until you get to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html ] the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might [ http://www.astronomyforum.net/ forum.html?db=&topic_number=253&lastpost=2005-04-0516:54:50 ] find this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_rosse.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. Though M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_snhst.html ] looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/image/a ] of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/ instruments/acs/ ] on board the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/ ].

M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars

Title	M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars
Explanation	The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million light years [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/012292.html ] distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ], also known as NGC [ http://www.seds.org/billa/ngc.html ] 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_m2.html ] on the sky. The above image [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/display.html ] is a digital combination of a ground-based image from the 0.9-meter telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/0.9m/manual.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ] and a space-based image from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] highlighting sharp features normally too red [ http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/infrared.html ] to be seen. Anyone with a good pair of binoculars [ http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html#How Binoculars Work ], however, can see this Whirlpool [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/table.html ] toward the constellation [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html ] of Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/cvn.html ]. M51 is a spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] of type Sc [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html ] and is the dominant member of a whole group of galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ]. Astronomers speculate that M51 [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/supplemental.html ]'s spiral structure [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast626_97/tss.html ] is primarily due to its gravitational interaction with a smaller galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980710.html ] just off the top of this image.

Title	M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
Explanation	Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's bowl, until you get to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html ] the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might find [ http://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/constellations/ canesvenatici.html ] this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030925.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. Though M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_snhst.html ] looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/image/a ] of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/ instruments/acs/ ] on board the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/ ].

Title	M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
Explanation	Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Ursa_Major.html ] bowl, until you get to [ http://www.contemplator.com/folk2/gourd.html ] the handle's last bright star [ http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-ak.html ]. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west [ http://galaxies.com/Info/Galaxy/m51.htm ] and you'll likely find this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_rosse.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (left), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 37 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. While M51 is [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/2001/10/index.html ] visible as a faint, fuzzy patch in binoculars, this sharp color picture [ http://www.astrophoto.com/M51LRGB.htm ] was made with a 14 inch telescope and combines digital camera exposures totaling 3 hours and 42 minutes.

Title	M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars
Explanation	The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million light years [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/012292.html ] distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ], also known as NGC [ http://www.seds.org/billa/ngc.html ] 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_m2.html ] on the sky. The above image [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/display.html ] is a digital combination of a ground-based image from the 0.9-meter telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/0.9m/manual.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ] and a space-based image from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] highlighting sharp features normally too red [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/what_is_ir.html ] to be seen. Anyone with a good pair of binoculars [ http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html#How Binoculars Work ], however, can see this Whirlpool [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/table.html ] toward the constellation [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html ] of Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=13 ]. M51 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020710.html ] is a spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] of type Sc [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html ] and is the dominant member of a whole group of galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ]. Astronomers speculate that M51 [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/supplemental.html ]'s spiral structure [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast626_97/tss.html ] is primarily due to its gravitational interaction with a smaller galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980710.html ] just off the top of this digitally sharpened image.

Title	M51: Cosmic Whirlpool
Explanation	Follow the handle of the Big Dipper [ http://www.astropix.com/HTML/C_SPRING/BIGDIP.HTM ] away from the dipper's [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Ursa_Major.html ] bowl, until you get to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050218.html ] the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might [ http://www.astronomyforum.net/ forum.html?db=&topic_number=253&lastpost=2005-04-0516:54:50 ] find this stunning pair [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m51.html ] of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ] in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_rosse.html ], the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/ngc/n5195.html ]. The pair are [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ] about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici [ http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/ canesvenatici/ ]. Though M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_snhst.html ] looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/image/a ] of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/ instruments/acs/ ] on board the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/ releases/2005/12/ ].

Title	A Nearby Supernova in M51
Explanation	One of the nearest supernovas of recent years was discovered late last month in the bright nearby galaxy M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ]. It is visible on the right of the above before and after images [ http://www.cosmotography.com/images/small_compare_SN2005-m51.html ] of the picturesque spiral [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050428.html ]. Can you spot it? The supernova [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/snr.html ], discovered originally by Wolfgang Kloehr [ http://www.dsi-astronomie.de/Bericht_EN.htm ] and now dubbed 2005cs, is still near its maximum brightness and visible with a telescope toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=13 ]). The supernova has been identified as a Type II [ http://stupendous.rit.edu/richmond/answers/sntypes.txt ] but has an unusual brightness history, creating speculation that is similar in nature to the brightest supernova of modern times: 1987A [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/guidry/violence/sn87a.html ]. The progenitor star has been identified [ http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1544_1.asp ] as a bright blue star. Although hundreds of supernovas [ http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/lists/RecentSupernovae.html ] are discovered each year by automated searches, nearby supernova [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040907.html ] are rare and important because they frequently become bright enough to be studied by many telescopes and are near enough for their (former) host star and immediate surroundings to be spatially resolved. Supernova 2005cs [ http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/sn2005/sn2005cs.html ] may have left behind a core that has been compressed into a neutron star [ http://www.astro.umd.edu/~miller/nstar.html ] or black hole [ http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html ].

Title	M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars
Explanation	The Whirlpool Galaxy is a classic spiral galaxy. At only 30 million light years [ http://www.pa.msu.edu/~sciencet/ask_st/012292.html ] distant and fully 60 thousand light years across, M51 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m051.html ], also known as NGC [ http://www.seds.org/billa/ngc.html ] 5194, is one of the brightest and most picturesque galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051_m2.html ] on the sky. The above [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2001/10/image/a ] image [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/display.html ] is a digital combination of a ground-based image from the 0.9-meter telescope [ http://www.noao.edu/0.9m/index.html ] at Kitt Peak National Observatory [ http://www.noao.edu/kpno/ ] and a space-based image from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://www.stsci.edu/hst/ ] highlighting sharp features normally too red [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/what_is_ir.html ] to be seen. Anyone with a good pair of binoculars [ http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/binoculars1.html#How Binoculars Work ], however, can see this Whirlpool [ http://heritage.stsci.edu/public/2001apr/table.html ] toward the constellation [ http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/asp/constellation.faq.html ] of Canes Venatici [ http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=13 ]. M51 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050428.html ] is a spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/spiral_galaxies.html ] of type Sc [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/preprints/white/gal_tuningfrk.html ] and is the dominant member of a whole group of galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/m051gr.html ]. Astronomers speculate that M51 [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Galaxy ]'s spiral structure [ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~barnes/ast626_97/tss.html ] is primarily due to its gravitational interaction with a smaller galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980710.html ] just off the top of this digitally sharpened image.

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