Larger instruments can certainly produce more detail, but most standard consumer-grade telescopes won’t fit the bill. A 200mm telescope will reveal the defining characteristics of the object, which include a large, faint halo surrounding a highly-defined core region. When viewed with the naked eye or through either a scoped finder or a pair of binoculars, the Whirlpool Galaxy appears as nothing more than a small dot of light, and it can easily be confused with a local star. M51 is situated at the northeast border of its constellation. To locate M51 in the sky with the naked eye, simply find the Canes Venatici constellation by looking just a few degrees from the handle of the Big Dipper. While the Whirlpool Galaxy was first discovered in 1773, it wasn’t until nearly a decade later in 1781 when the dwarf companion galaxy was described by Pierre Méchain. The pair of galaxies are most visible during the months of March through May, and those in the Northern Hemisphere should have a significantly easier time locating the pair. This is due to the interactions between the Whirlpool Galaxy, designated M51 or M51a, and its dwarf neighbor, M51b. Not only was the Whirlpool Galaxy the first of its kind to be identified, but it remains one of the most popular topics of study amongst astronomers. Not only that, but it is visible with the naked eye as well. It’s one of the brighter objects in the sky, and it can easily be found with the simplest telescopes and binoculars. The galaxy is part of the Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) constellation, and when viewed with a proper telescope, the side of the spiral that faces Earth is clearly visible. The Whirlpool Galaxy was, in a sense, bound to become one of the most famous galaxies known to man. M51a and M51b are not yet fully merged, and they are connected by a bridge of dust and gas. ![]()
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