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Pinwheel_Galaxy

M101 2024-02-10

Astrophotograph of M101: Pinwheel_Galaxy
Pinwheel_GalaxyM101

01 / Capture

Object
M101
Captured
2024-02-10
Exposure
Lots

02 / Imaging train

Equipment
Celestron 11 Edge HD + Fast Star · Skywatcher EQ6-R-Pro · ZWO 1600MM · ZWO EFW · RGB
Telescope
Celestron 11 Edge HD + Fast Star
Mount
Skywatcher EQ6-R-Pro
Camera
ZWO 1600MM
Filter wheel
ZWO EFW
Filter set
RGB
Scope type
SCT

03 / Processing

Workflow
PixInsight

Image license: This gallery image is published under a Creative Commons license.

galaxy

Object notes / Wikipedia

Wikipedia thumbnail for Pinwheel Galaxy

Pinwheel Galaxy

The Pinwheel Galaxy is a face-on, counterclockwise intermediate spiral galaxy located 21 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and was communicated that year to Charles Messier, who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final entries.

  • Constellation: Ursa Major
  • Distance: 21.6 ± 0.28 Mly (6.644 ± 0.087 Mpc)
  • Apparent magnitude (V): 7.9
  • Type: SAB(rs)cd HII
  • Size: 252,000 ly (77.31 kpc) (diameter; 4050 Å high surface brightness level)
  • Apparent size (V): 28.8′ × 26.9′

Read more on Wikipedia

Text and media excerpted from Wikipedia/Wikimedia under their applicable licenses; see the linked article for full attribution history and license details.