Whirlpool Galaxy M51

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and 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. Its distance is 31 million light-years away from Earth.

Planewave CDK17, ZWO ASI2600MC Duo, Paramount MEII mount. 4 hour image At Desert Astro Observatory in Sierra Vista Dark skies. 5/7/24