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Astronomy basics > Fast Facts: Whirlpool Galaxy
| Name(s) | Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, NGC 5194 |
| Description | A face-on spiral galaxy with companion |
| Location | Found in the northern constellation Canes Venatici |
| Distance from Earth |
About 9.6 megaparsecs (31 million light-years) |
| Size | The galaxy is roughly 30 kiloparsecs (98,000 light-years) in diameter. |
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Luminous heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy
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Astronomy basics > Fast Facts: Whirlpool Galaxy