McDonald Observatory
| Title | McDonald Observatory |
| View | Astronomical Photographs 6 |
| Series | II: Buildings and Grounds |
| Description | The large spiraling Whirlpool Galaxy designated Messier 51 is located in the constellation Canes Venatici. Its spiral arms consist of many millions of stars similar to the Sun; its distance is three million light years; and, its velocity of recession is 250 kilometers per second. Photograph taken at the Cassegrain focus of the 82-inch McDonald telescope with an exposure of 8 minutes. |
| Subject Terms | M51 (Galaxy) | Canes Venatici (Constellation) | Spiral galaxies | Stars | Astronomical photography |
| Photographer | Van Biesbroeck, George, 1880-1974 |
| Photograph Date | 1939-03-15 |
| Physical Format | Photographic prints; 7.7 x 10.0 cm |
| Collection | Archival Photographic Files |
| Repository | University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center |
| Image Identifier | apf2-05108 |
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