NGC 5195 / M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy / IC 4263 / NGC 5198 / NGC 5169 Galaxies - telescope processed image. M51 is actually two galaxies—the large spiral NGC 5194 and its smaller companion NGC 5195—locked in a dramatic, multi-million-year collision.

NGC 5195 / M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy / IC 4263 / NGC 5198 / NGC 5169 Galaxies - unprocessed image. In 1845, Lord Rosse identified its spiral structure, making it the first celestial object ever recognized to have a "vortex" or spiral shape.

Good Friday morning. Still have some images to share from yesterday. Next up is the Dwarf Mini’s observation of (from top to bottom) #NGC5195 / #M51 #TheWhirlpoolGalaxy / #IC4263 / #NGC5198 / #NGC5169 #Galaxies. #dwarflabs #dwarfmini #space #astronomy #amateur