Stargazers Rejoice: Whirlpool Galaxy Visible Tonight!

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51, will be at its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time on Friday, offering skywatchers an opportunity to spot the breathtaking cosmic object. The galaxy, shaped somewhat like a spiral staircase, will be visible for most of the night from New York City and should be observable with a pair of skywatching binoculars or a small telescope in good viewing conditions with dark skies and clear weather. The spiral arms of M51 may be especially pronounced because of a close encounter with a compact nearby galaxy, NGC 5195, which is also triggering star formation.