More details about the Whirlpool Galaxy from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_Galaxy
“The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194, is an interacting[7] grand-design[8] spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus[9] in the constellation Canes Venatici. …
“It was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy.[11] Recently it was estimated to be 23 ± 4 million light-years from the Milky Way,[3] but different methods yield distances between 15 and 35 million light-years. Messier 51 is one of the best known galaxies in the sky.[12]
“The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195,[13] are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may even be seen with binoculars.[14] The Whirlpool Galaxy is also a popular target for professional astronomers, who study it to further understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions.”