M51 was cataloged in 1773 by Charles Messier (in his famous 'things that shouldn't be mistaken for new comets' list - number 51, hence the name), and later, in 1845 when telescopes were more advanced, it was drawn by Lord Rosse in wonderful detail considering the times.
And in 2005 Hubble took this photograph, the most detailed yet of NGC1594 (M51) and its companion NGC1595 (which Messier considered part of M51:
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