Asteria — interactive night sky map
Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51) is a galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici with an apparent magnitude of 8.4, spanning about 14 arcminutes. It is within reach of binoculars or a small telescope.
It is best placed in the evening sky around April. It is visible from the whole northern hemisphere and from southern latitudes down to about 43°S. It is circumpolar (never sets) north of latitude 43°N.