Got some more hours of data and integrated as session 2. Still using 420mm telescope and tiny sensor.
M101 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy or NGC 5457¹. It is one of the nearest galaxies to the Milky Way, lying at a distance of about 21 million light years¹. It is one of the largest and most detailed galaxies visible from Earth, with a diameter of about 170,000 light years and a population of about a trillion stars¹².
M101 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, who communicated it to Charles Messier, who included it in his catalogue of nebulae and star clusters as object number 101¹ . It was later observed by William Herschel, who noted its spiral structure, and by Lord Rosse, who made several sketches of it¹ . It has been imaged by various telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, which revealed many details of its structure and dynamics¹ .
M101 has a high rate of star formation and hosts many regions of interstellar gas and dust, such as the giant H II region NGC 604, which is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the Local Group¹². It also has several satellite galaxies, such as NGC 5474 and NGC 5477, which are gravitationally bound to it¹².
M101 has an apparent magnitude of 7.9 and an apparent size of 28.8 by 26.9 arc minutes¹. It can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope as a bright patch of light near the star Alkaid in Ursa Major¹ . It is best seen from the northern hemisphere during spring months.
Kilde: Samtale med Bing, 18.6.2023
(1) M101 – Wikipedia.
https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/M101.
(2) Pinwheel Galaxy - Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinwheel_Galaxy.
Comments