Astronomy Photo: M101 Pinwheel Galaxy
My observation:
Taken: 1 June 2024 at 10:57 PM EST
Equipment: Unistellar Equinox2
General Information:
- Messier Designation: M101
- Type: Spiral Galaxy
- Distance from Earth: 21,000,000 light years
The Pinwheel Galaxy, known as Messier 101 (M101), is a face-on spiral galaxy situated approximately 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. This galaxy is renowned for its well-defined spiral arms, which are adorned with a multitude of star-forming nebulae, young blue star clusters, and vast regions of ionized hydrogen. These features make it a dazzling example of a grand design spiral galaxy. M101 spans about 170,000 light-years across, making it one of the largest galaxies in its local group. Its proximity and relative brightness allow astronomers to study its composition and structure in great detail, contributing significantly to our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of spiral galaxies.
Additional Details from NASA:
Hubble Image:
https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/m101-jpg.webp?w=2048&format=webp
