00:00 On this day in space.
00:03 In 1773, a French astronomer named Charles Messier discovered the Whirlpool Galaxy, also
00:08 known as Messier 51 or M51.
00:11 Charles Messier was scanning the sky for objects that could confuse comet hunters when he cataloged
00:15 the galaxy as M51.
00:17 However, Messier wasn't able to see the spiral structure and he didn't identify it as a galaxy.
00:23 Seventy-two years later, another astronomer named William Parson saw the Whirlpool's shape,
00:26 but he thought it was a spiral nebula.
00:29 Eventually Edwin Hubble found out that M51 and other features like it were actually galaxies.
00:33 And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:36 [Music]
