The Cosmos with M102
Messier 102 (M102), also known as the Spindle Galaxy, is an edge-on lenticular galaxy located in the northern constellation Draco.
The Spindle Galaxy lies at a distance of 50 million light years from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.7. It has the designation NGC 5866 in the New General Catalogue. The galaxy occupies an area of 4.7 by 1.9 arc minutes of apparent sky, corresponding to a linear extension of about 60,000 light years. It is very difficult to see with binoculars, but easily visible in small telescopes, which show a thin, nebulous patch under good conditions.