Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  M 101  ·  NGC 5457  ·  NGC 5473  ·  NGC 5477
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Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy), Randal Healey
Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy)
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Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy)

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy), Randal Healey
Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy)
Powered byPixInsight

Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy)

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Description

Messier 101 - M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy (Spiral Galaxy)

M101 is a large face-on spiral galaxy located 22 million light-years away in the constellation of Ursa Major. it can be glimpsed in binoculars or small telescopes from dark sites. However, this galaxy suffers from low surface brightness and in bad seeing conditions or light polluted areas is sometimes difficult to spot even with the best telescopes. M101 is best seen from the Northern Hemisphere during the months of March, April and May.

M101 is also known as the Pinwheel galaxy and was discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 27, 1781. He described it as "nebula without star, very obscure and pretty large, 6' to 7' in diameter, between the left hand of Boötes and the tail of the great Bear."

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