Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) — galaxy, explore its interactive 3D model in Cosmoscope.

Explore Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) in an interactive 3D view of space. See its catalogue position, distance and astronomical facts.

The first galaxy ever seen to have spiral structure — a perfect whirlpool whose arms are being tugged into brilliant relief by the small yellow galaxy clinging to its edge.

Type

Grand-design spiral (SA(s)bc)

Distance

27 million light-years

Note

Its arms are drawn out by the companion NGC 5195

Shown here

Representative stars, sampled from its measured light and labelled as such: no survey resolves its stars across the disc

Glow & dust

Old stars: a 3D bulge and disc fitted to WISE infrared; young stars from GALEX; Herschel dust; star-forming knots from WISE; NGC 5195 as a 3D spheroid behind the disc

Depth

Disc tilted 22° (measured); its thickness and depth are modelled

Explore Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) in 3D

Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is placed in three-dimensional space using catalogue coordinates and an adopted astronomical distance. Rotate and zoom to explore the model. Stellar surfaces, gas structure and dust depths may be reconstructed or illustrative, as described in its facts; this is not live imagery from a telescope.