Celestial Objects
Messier 102
Galaxies
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Messier 102, also known as M102, is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Draco seen almost exactly edge-on, giving it a distinctive spindle-like appearance and the popular nickname the Spindle Galaxy. Pierre Mechain reported the object in 1781, but its identity was disputed for two centuries, with some historians arguing his observation was actually a duplicate of Messier 101 rather than a separate object; the modern consensus, though not universal, identifies M102 with NGC 5866, which lies roughly 50 million light-years from Earth.
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