NGC5194-5 (M51) Galaxy

29. NGC5194-5 (M51) Galaxy The Whirlpool galaxy, M51, is situated 3° southwest of Eta Ursae Majoris, the end star in the handle of the Big Dipper. Both M51 and its 8thmagnitude companion are easy in a 3-inch telescope, and a 10-inch will reveal some spiral structure under good conditions. A greater challenge is to pick out the faint wisps of nebulosity that connect the two objects, which can be done with an 8-inch on a steady night. A short-focus 12-inch is a more suitable instrument, however. An 8 - inch telescope can often show a faint star, perhaps magnitude 12, just southwest of M51's nucleus. Although sometimes mistaken for a supernova, the star is actually a foreground object in our own galaxy.