Waid Observatory

Object: M101

Date: 05/23 & 25/2004    -    Location: Margate, Florida
Telescope: LX200GPS-12U  -  Camera: ST-10XME/AO-7 F:6.3
Exposure: L = 135.5 min. - R&G = 37.5 min. - B = 52.5 min.

Click on the image to view at high resolution.

 

M100 - Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices

M101 (The Pinwheel Galaxy) 1

Discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781.

M101 is also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy.  It is one of the brightest of the Grand Design Spiral galaxies and can be viewed with modest amateur telescopes.  It lies in the Constellation Ursa Major and its distance has been determined by measurements of Cepheid variable stars using the Hubble Space Telescope to be 24 (+/- 2) million light years from the earth.  This "face on" galaxy is truly an impressive object.

1http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m101.html

 
Copyright Donald P. Waid