- B195 minutes (39 frames)
- L205 minutes (47 frames)
- R250 minutes (50 frames)
- G195 minutes (39 frames)
- H90 minutes (18 frames)
The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), also known as the Pinocolat Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It attracts the attention of astronomers with its beautiful spiral structure and bright star clusters.
Description and discovery
The galaxy has a diameter of about 170,000 light-years, which is almost twice the diameter of our Milky Way. It is located at a distance of about 21 million light-years from Earth and belongs to the M101 group of galaxies. The galaxy was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781.
The Pinwheel Galaxy is known for its vigorous star-forming activity, especially in its spiral arms, where new stars are formed from clouds of gas and dust.
Structure and Composition
The galaxy has a high density of H II regions, which are areas of intense star formation within giant molecular clouds of hydrogen. In these regions, young stars and star clusters create bright superbubbles.
The galaxy is asymmetrical due to gravitational interactions with neighboring galaxies, which leads to intense star formation in its spiral arms.
Companion Galaxies
M101 has six large companion galaxies, including NGC 5204, NGC 5474, NGC 5477, NGC 5585, UGC 8837, and UGC 9405. These galaxies interact with M101, creating its "grand design" structure.
Supernovae and other phenomena
The Pinwheel Galaxy is known for its supernovae. In particular:
- SN 1909A (discovered in 1909)
- SN 1951H (discovered in 1951)
- SN 2011fe (discovered in 2011, type Ia)
- SN 2023ixf (discovered in 2023, type II)
These events help scientists study star formation processes and the evolution of galaxies.
Conclusion
The Pinwheel Galaxy is a striking example of a spiral galaxy with high star formation activity and interesting astronomical phenomena. Studying its structure and interactions with neighboring galaxies expands our knowledge of galaxy formation and the evolution of stellar systems.
| Photo | Date | Frames | Exposure | L | R | G | B | H | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 26 Apr 2021 | 183 | 15:15 | 03:05 | 04:10 | 03:15 | 03:15 | 01:30 | |
 | 27 Feb 2021 | 37 | 03:05 | 03:05 | |||||
 | 16 May 2017 | 120 | 01:00 | 01:00 | |||||
 | 29 Apr 2017 | 50 | 00:25 | 00:25 |
Visibility chart of Pinwheel Galaxy (M 101) during the day
| Date | Moon Phase | Exposure | CCD Temperature | Gain | Offset | Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- 2023ixf•
- 40 Eri•
- Abell 74•
- Artemis A868 SA•
- a Canis Minoris•
- C 2020 R4 ATLAS•
- C 2020 T2 Palomar•
- C 2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)•
- Haumea (2003 EL61)•
- HCG 68•
- HCG 92•
- IC 1318B•
- IC 1396•
- IC 1795•
- IC 1805•
- IC 1848•
- IC 1871•
- IC 3322A•
- IC 342•
- IC 4015•
- IC 405•
- IC 417•
- IC 434•
- IC 443•
- IC 4703•
- IC 5070•
- IC 5146•
- IC 63•
- M 1•
- M 101•
- M 103•
- M 109•
- M 13•
- M 15•
- M 27•
- M 3•
- M 33•
- M 42•
- M 45•
- M 5•
- M 51•
- M 57•
- M 63•
- M 64•
- M 74•
- M 76•
- M 81•
- M 82•
- M 86•
- M 87•
- M 94•
- M 97•
- NGC 147•
- NGC 1491•
- NGC 1499•
- NGC 1579•
- NGC 1961•
- NGC 2146•
- NGC 2239•
- NGC 2403•
- NGC 281•
- NGC 4236•
- NGC 4565•
- NGC 4631•
- NGC 507•
- NGC 508•
- NGC 5866•
- NGC 5907•
- NGC 6503•
- NGC 6823•
- NGC 6888•
- NGC 6946•
- NGC 6992•
- NGC 6995•
- NGC 7000•
- NGC 7023•
- NGC 7129•
- NGC 7217•
- NGC 7331•
- NGC 7380•
- NGC 7538•
- NGC 7635•
- NGC 7640•
- NGC 7822•
- NGC 891•
- NGC 896•
- NGC 925•
- PGC 54559•
- Sh2-155•
- Sh2-168•
- Sh2 103•
- Sh2 109•
- Sh2 132•
- T CrB•
- UGC 6930•
- V1405 Cas•
- Vesta A807 FA•