Astr110 Photography Projects, Spring 2005

Spindle Galaxy , Mark Muller

This is a picture of the Spindle Galaxy or, more technically put, Galaxy M102. The Galaxy M102 is an object that was found by Pierre Mechain and recorded by Charles Messier in 1781. This Galaxy is the last Messier object with an identity crisis. According to my research, it is more than likely the Spindle Galaxy which can be found in the constellation Draco; yet others say it is a duplication of the Spiral Galaxy due to errors by Mechain or by Messier.

Assuming that this is the Spindle Galaxy then it is classified as a lenticular galaxy and the type is S0_3. This basically tells us that it is a lens-shaped, spiral galaxy with a central bulge and a disk. This galaxy is estimated to have a mass of 1 trillion solar masses.

References:
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/galaxies/spindle.htm
http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m102.html
http://www.macalester.edu/astronomy/research/phys20/AN+CF/