Although not quite as large to the naked eye as M31, M51, aka the Whirlpool Galaxy, is still quite a sight. Although much farther away (approximately 31 million light years away from Earth) the Whirlpool Galaxy is still an awesome object in the night sky.
Located in the vicinity of Canes Venatici, the Whirlpool Galaxy is a perfect example of a spiral galaxy with two massive arms that act as “star formation factories” and has been generously studied by astronomers researching star formation patterns in galaxies.
