The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and NGC 5194, is an interacting [7] grand-design [8] spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus [9] in the constellation Canes Venatici . It was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. [10] Recently it was estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way , [3] but different methods yield distances between 15 and 35 million light-years. Messier 51 is one of the best known galaxies in the sky. [11] The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195 , [12] are easily observed by amateur astronomers , and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars . [13] The Whirlpool Galaxy is also a popular target for professional astronomers, who study it to further understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms ) and galaxy interactions. Google