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M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy 渦狀星系
M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
作者 | 施勇旭
#天文與氣象
科學圖說 Introduction
梅西耳編號M51,又名NGC5194、NGC5195。位在北天區的獵犬座中,距離地球約2300萬光年,是一組受重力影響而交互作用的星系,本身具備明顯的螺旋狀結構,外型酷似長著觸鬚的蝸牛。在浩瀚宇宙漫長的歷史洪流中,存在著各式各樣的星系,彼此間的拉扯、碰撞、合併彷彿訴說著星系間是如何地演化。
Messier 51, also known as NGC5194 and NGC5195, lies in the constellation Canes Venatici in the Northern Circumpolar Region. Its distance is estimated to be 23 million light-years from Earth. This pair of galaxies interacts with each other under the influence of gravity. The distinctive spiral structure resembles a snail with tentacles. In the long history of the vast universe, galaxies have pulled on, collided with, and merged with one another.