Decorative print of an image taken by the Hubble Telescope. © NASA
The Spindle Galaxy Messier 102 (also known as NGC 5866) is a lenticular galaxy measuring 4.7' x 1.9' with an apparent magnitude of +9.90 in the constellation Draco. As it is considered the prototype of a lenticular galaxy, i.e. a Hubble type S0 galaxy, it is also known as the Spindle Galaxy. However, this name is ambiguous, as it also refers to the lenticular galaxy NGC 3115. Today, M 102 is generally assigned to the NGC object NGC 5866. However, there is some controversy as to whether Messier actually meant this galaxy, or whether M 102 is a double observation of M 101. Others suspect that Messier meant NGC 5879 or NGC 5928 instead, but both are fainter than NGC 5866. Entry number 102 in Messier's catalogue was originally observed by Pierre Méchain, but the transfer to Messier's final catalogue was done in a hurry and without coordinates, merely with the incorrect description that the location of the nebula was between the stars Boo and Dra.
