The Whirpool Galaxy, or Messier 51 (M51)

Wise_wise2011-020a_1024

wise_WISE2011-020a May 25th, 2011

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

Known by astronomers as M51, this beauty is a grand design spiral, which are galaxies with well-defined spiral arms. Its smaller companion, a dwarf galaxy called NGC 5195, is thought to have helped define and shape the arms due to its gravitational "dance" with its larger partner. M51 is also known as "The Lord Ross Galaxy," after the astronomer who was the first to study its spiral structure in the 1840s. It is located 25 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, and is 81,000 light-years across.

Provider: Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

Image Source: /image/wise/WISE2011-020a

Curator: Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Berkeley, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Pulic Domain

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  • Full Size Image (1780 x 1780)

Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Whirlpool Galaxy • Messier 51 • M51 • NGC 5194 • NGC 5195
Subject - Local Universe
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Type > Interacting
Galaxy > Type > Irregular

Distance Details Distance

Universescale2
39,000,000 light years
Wise_wise2011-020a_128
 

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 13h 29m 55.7s
DEC = 47° 13’ 53.0”
Orientation
North is 35.7° CW
Field of View
20.4 x 20.4 arcminutes
Constellation
Canes Venatici

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue WISE Infrared (Near-IR) 3.4 µm
Cyan WISE Infrared (Near-IR) 4.6 µm
Green WISE Infrared (Mid-IR) 12.0 µm
Red WISE Infrared (Mid-IR) 22.0 µm
Spectrum_ir1
Blue
Cyan
Green
Red
Wise_wise2011-020a_1280
×
ID
WISE2011-020a
Subject Category
C.5.1.1.   C.5.1.7.   C.5.1.6.  
Subject Name
Whirlpool Galaxy, Messier 51, M51, NGC 5194, NGC 5195
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA
Release Date
2011-05-25
Lightyears
39,000,000
Redshift
0.002
Reference Url
/image/wise/WISE2011-020a
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
WISE, WISE, WISE, WISE
Instrument
Color Assignment
Blue, Cyan, Green, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Near-IR, Mid-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
3400, 4600, 12000, 22000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
2000
Reference Value
202.482083, 47.231389
Reference Dimension
1780, 1780
Reference Pixel
890.5, 890.5
Scale
-1.90972219570500e-04, 1.90972219570500e-04
Rotation
-35.7
Coordinate System Projection:
SIN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
URL
http://wise.astro.ucla.edu
Name
Email
outreach@ssl.berkeley.edu
Telephone
Address
7 Gauss Way
City
Berkeley
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
94720
Country
USA
Rights
Pulic Domain
Publisher
Publisher ID
wise
Resource ID
Resource URL
/image/wise/WISE2011-020a
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2018-01-11T02:51:34Z
Metadata Version
1.2
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
39,000,000 light years

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