NGC5194 · NGC 5195

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Credit X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Texas/E.Schlegel et al; Optical: NASA/STScI · Public domain

Chinese name	NGC 5195
Type	Galaxy
Constellation	CVn
RA	13h30m
Dec	+47°
Apparent magnitude	9.6ᵐ
Hemisphere	Northern
Best season	Spring
Difficulty	Hard
Focal length	长焦 1000mm+

About

NGC 5195 lies about 25 million light-years away in Canes Venatici and is the dwarf companion of the Whirlpool Galaxy M51, usually imaged together with it. It is passing behind M51's arms and interacting gravitationally, the two linked by a bridge of stars and gas. It is precisely this close encounter, spanning hundreds of millions of years, that tidally drew out M51's magnificent, well-ordered grand-design arms, making it the most photogenic of face-on spirals. NGC 5195 itself is a dwarf elliptical/lenticular galaxy with an active core stirred by the interaction. Together with M51 it stages the classic case study of galactic interaction, a landmark long-focal deep-sky pairing in spring.