Sunday, June 9, 2024

Whirlpool and Pinwheel Galaxies (all night)

In evening during June, the Big Dipper is positioned high in the northwestern sky. When the moon is not too bright, two impressive galaxies can be seen in binoculars and backyard telescopes, using the bright star Alkaid at the tip of the dipper's handle to locate them. The Pinwheel Galaxy, or Messier 101, is a spectacular face-on spiral galaxy positioned 5.5 degrees to the upper right (or celestial north) of Alkaid, forming an equilateral triangle with Mizar, the double star at the bend of the handle. This relatively close galaxy (21 million light-years away) is nearly as large as the full moon in the sky. Since the galaxy's light is spread over such a large area, its overall brightness is low. Aim your binoculars 3.5 degrees to the lower left (or southwest) of Alkaid to discover the iconic Whirlpool Galaxy, aka Messier 51. This spiral galaxy's angular size is smaller, but it will look somewhat brighter in your binoculars and telescope. A secondary galaxy core designated NGC5195 is linked to Messier 51 by a stream of stars.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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