Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  HD122865  ·  M 101  ·  NGC 5447  ·  NGC 5449  ·  NGC 5450  ·  NGC 5451  ·  NGC 5453  ·  NGC 5455  ·  NGC 5457  ·  NGC 5461  ·  NGC 5462  ·  NGC 5471  ·  NGC 5474  ·  NGC 5477  ·  Pinwheel galaxy
M101 Pinwheel, AstroDivers
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M101 Pinwheel

M101 Pinwheel, AstroDivers
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M101 Pinwheel

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Description

This awe-inspiring image captures the magnificent beauty of M101, commonly known as the Pinwheel Galaxy. It is an enthralling spiral galaxy located approximately 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

The Pinwheel Galaxy's vibrant arms extend gracefully from its bright, centralized core, swirling with a mesmerizing tapestry of interstellar dust, gas, and countless stars. The arms showcase a stunning array of bright blue regions where new stars are actively forming, contrasting against patches of dusky red and pink hues that hint at stellar nurseries and the remnants of previous stellar explosions.

At the heart of M101, a prominent, brilliant nucleus dominates the scene, radiating a soft golden glow. This compact region is home to a supermassive black hole, whose immense gravitational forces shape the galaxy's structure and influence the stellar dynamics within it.

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M101 Pinwheel, AstroDivers