| Proper Names | May correspond to the Spindle Galaxy, or possibly the Pinwheel Galaxy | | Messier Number | M102 (may be a duplicate of M101) | | NGC/IC Number | Probably NGC 5866, but possibly NGC 5457, or one of several other candidates | | Constellation | Probably either Draco or Ursa Major | | Right Ascension | 15h 6m 30s | | Declination | +55° 45' 48" | | Distance | c.39,200,000 light years
c.12,000,000 parsecs | | Magnitude | Apparent: +10.8
Absolute: -19.6 | | Diameter | Apparent: 6.5'
Actual: c.74,000 light years | | Hubble Type | S0 Spiral Galaxy (probably Lenticular) | | Optimum Visibility | May (Usually visible from northern latitudes) | | Notes | The galaxy intended by Messier as number 102 in his Catalogue has not been identified with certainty. Perhaps its most likely identity is the Spindle Galaxy, NGC 5866, and where specific values are given above, they refer to that galaxy. It has also been proposed that M102 might simply be a duplicate of M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, and a number of other candidate galaxies have also been put forward. |
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