Shortly:
- Format: DIN A2 (420 x 594 mm)
- Material: 250 g glossy quality print
- A MUST for space lovers!
Decorative print of an image from the Hubble telescope. ©NASA
The spindle galaxy Messier 102 (also referred to as NGC 5866) is a lenticular galaxy with dimensions 4.7' x 1.9' and an apparent magnitude of +9.90 in the constellation Draco. Because it is considered to be the prototype of a lenticular galaxy, ie a Hubble type S0 galaxy, it is also known as the spindle galaxy. However, this name is ambiguous, since, for example, the also lenticular galaxy NGC 3115 is referred to under the same name. Today, M 102 is commonly assigned to the NGC object NGC 5866. However, there is controversy as to whether Messier actually meant this galaxy, or whether M 102 is a double observation of M 101. Others suggest that Messier meant NGC 5879 or NGC 5928 instead, although both are fainter than NGC 5866. Entry number 102 in Messier's catalog was originally observed by Pierre Méchain, but the transfer to Messier's final catalog was done in a hurry and without coordinates; only with the erroneous description that the location of the nebula is between the stars Boo and Dra.
