M101 (NGC 5457) – Pinwheel Galaxy – a spiral galaxy with a weak nucleus and very well developed arms in the constellation Ursa Major. Brightness is 7.9 Magnitude.
The diameter of M101 is 170 000 light years, and its mass is approximately equal to 180 billion solar masses. It’s 21 million light years away.
Four supernovae have been observed in this galaxy so far: SN 1909A, SN 1951H, SN 1970G and SN 2011fe.
Together with other weaker galaxies, M101 forms a group of M101 galaxies. The influence of nearby galaxies disturbed the shape of M101 and caused gas clouds to stretch. The close pass neighbor galaxy (most likely NGC 5474), near M101 about 250 million years ago also enforced to increase in star-forming activity. The northeastern galaxy arm contains more young blue stars.
In Poland, visible whole year.
Source: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaktyka_Wiatraczek
Photos
(March 2019) taken in Zwardoń. A standard place for PTMA Katowice
gather.
Equipment: Canon EOS 6D, Sky-Watcher 200/1000 [mm] on
EQ6 Pro.
Composition: APP (3 best frames + Flat +
Bias)
Processing: GIMP v2.10.14 + add-ons (Linux)
Lights: 3
x 237 [s], ISO-1000;
