WHIRLPOOL FACTS
The home of interesting Whirlpool galaxy facts for kids and adults.
Whirlpool Facts
The Whirlpool galaxy, as with others, has a second name – unlike some others, it also has a third and a fourth. Its other monikers are Messier 51a, M51a and NGC 5194. Whirlpool can be found in the Canes Venatici constellation and is the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral.
For 10 more interesting facts about this galaxy that you might already know, read on.
10 Facts about Whirlpool
1. The Whirlpool galaxy is only slightly smaller than the Milky Way
With an estimated radius of 30,000 light-years, the Whirlpool galaxy is a little smaller than the Milky Way and a little larger than the Black Eye galaxy.
Did you know?
The Black Eye galaxy has an estimated radius of 26,500 light-years.
2. Whirlpool has an interacting neighbour.
Whirlpool and its smaller neighbour M51b have passed through each other before, and are doing so again. The Whirlpool galaxy is seeing large amounts of star birth because of the interaction.
Did you know?
The dwarf galaxy that is neighbour to the Whirlpool galaxy was named M51b because it will at some point be consumed by M51a (Whirlpool).
3. Supernova galore.
The galaxy has interested astronomers for a long time, and for several reasons. One of the more interesting things about the galaxy is the number of Supernova in a relatively short time – 3 in 17 years is very unusual for one galaxy.
Did you know?
The three supernovas recorded in Whirlpool were observed in 1994, 2005 and 2011.
4. The Whirlpool galaxy is a close neighbour.
The distance of the Whirlpool galaxy is estimated to be close to 31 million light-years away from Earth. That’s pretty close, in galactic terms, and it can be observed using just binoculars.
Did you know?
It was first discovered by Charles Messier in 1773, who at the time was trying to identify comet-like objects that may confuse astronomers.
5. Whirlpool is home to a supermassive black hole.
The Whirlpool galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its centre, which has rings of dust around it. These rings of dust are space debris that the black hole has sucked towards it.
Did you know?
It is thought that all known large galaxies have a supermassive black hole at their centre.
6. It’s all in a name.
The Whirlpool galaxy gets its name from the way the centre behaves. The core is very active and this creates a whirlpool effect
Did you know?
The effect created at the core of the galaxy is called a ‘Seyfert Galaxy’.
7. The first officially labelled spiral galaxy.
As well as being the first spiral galaxy to be called a spiral galaxy, Whirlpool is considered to be the classical shape and structure of people imagine when they think of a spiral galaxy.
Did you know?
While the Whirlpool galaxy is quite close, our nearest neighbour is Andromeda at 2.5 million light-years away.
8. The Whirlpool galaxy was discovered in 1773.
French astronomer Charles Messier first discovered the Whirlpool galaxy in 1773, as he was looking for other objects as he began studying and charting the skies.
Did you know?
The discovery by Messier was only ‘general’. It was Irish astronomer (and 3rd Earl of Rosse) William Parsons, in 1845. that discovered it was a spiral galaxy – he also noted its dwarf galaxy neighbour.
9. Whirlpool wasn’t always called a galaxy.
Despite the efforts and observations of Messier and Parsons, it was until the 1920s that Edwin Hubble proved that what were thought to be nebulae, were in fact distant galaxies.
Did you know?
A nebula is a cloud of galactic dust and gases, notably hydrogen and helium. On the other hand, a galaxy is a massive collection of stars held together by gravitational forces.
10. Supernova helped calculate the distance of the galaxy.
The third observed supernova in the Whirlpool galaxy was a type II supernova, and the explosion was large that it helped astronomers determine the distance between Earth and the galaxy.
Did you know?
A type II supernova happens when a star dies and leaves behind a black hole.