M101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major
Copyright 2004 John Hodge
The beautiful Pinwheel Galaxy, known as M101. Recognized as one of the finest examples of a classic spiral, it actually is quite non-symmetrical with its core being considerably off-center. It lies at a distance of 27 million light-years and spans 170,000 light years across its diameter, nearly twice the size of our own Milky-Way galaxy. It has a total luminosity of 30 billion suns.
Date/Location:
May 9, 2004 Iwancio-Hodge Observatory
Bethune, SC
Instrument: SBIG ST-7 through 12" LX-200
Focal Ratio: f 3.3
Guiding: Auto via ST-7
Conditions: Visually clear
Weather:
Exposure: 1x20 minutes
Filters: None
Processing: