An X-ray study of M51 (NGC 5194) and its companion (NGC 5195)

Observations of NGC 5194/95 with the Einstein HRI show a very strong nuclear X-ray source, surrounded by a diffuse flux, three point sources and the companion. The diffuse flux, which correlates well with the radio continuum, is likely to originate from the disk population with age 2·10⁹ yrs. The large luminosity from the nuclear source, together with optical and radio observations, shows that it belongs to the low luminosity active nuclei, thus extending this class to luminosities less than 10⁴⁰ erg/s.