Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  M 101  ·  NGC 5422  ·  NGC 5457  ·  NGC 5461  ·  NGC 5473  ·  NGC 5474  ·  NGC 5485
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The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), JohnEEvans
The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)
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The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

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The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), JohnEEvans
The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)
Powered byPixInsight

The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

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Description

The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is a face-on spiral galaxy 21 million light-years away in Ursa Major.

It is a large galaxy, with a diameter of 170,000 light-years (a little under double the size of our Milky Way). M101 has a high population of HII regions, many of which are very large and bright. It is also asymmetrical due to tidal forces from interactions with its companion galaxies. These gravitational interactions compress hydrogen gas triggering star formation in its spiral arms.

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The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), JohnEEvans