OTD in Space - October 13: Charles Messier Discovers the 'Whirlpool Galaxy' - video Dailymotion

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On Oct. 13, 1773, a French astronomer named Charles Messier discovered the "whirlpool galaxy," also known as Messier 51, or M51.   Charles Messier was scanning the sky for objects that could confuse comet hunters when he catalogued the galaxy as M51. However, Messier wasn't able to see the spiral structure, and he didn't identify it as a galaxy. Seventy-two years later, another astronomer named William Parsons saw the whirlpool shape, but he thought it was a spiral nebula. Eventually, Edwin Hubble found out that M51 and other features like it were actually galaxies.

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00:00On this day in space. In 1773, a French astronomer named Charles Messier discovered the Whirlpool

00:07Galaxy, also known as Messier 51 or M51. Charles Messier was scanning the sky for objects that

00:13could confuse comet hunters when he catalogued the galaxy as M51. However, Messier wasn't able

00:19to see the spiral structure and he didn't identify it as a galaxy. 72 years later, another astronomer

00:25named William Parsons saw the Whirlpool shape, but he thought it was a spiral nebula. Eventually

00:30Edwin Hubble found out that M51 and other features like it were actually galaxies. And that's

00:35what happened on this day in space.

OTD in Space - October 13: Charles Messier Discovers the 'Whirlpool Galaxy'

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