| Object Data |
| Description |
M101 is one of the largest nearby galaxies, with a
diameter exceeding 170,000 light years. It was the first "spiral nebula"
to be identified as such. |
| Constellation |
Ursa Major the Great Bear |
| Right Ascension |
14h 3m 19s |
| Declination |
+54° 20' 1" |
| Magnitude |
8.2 |
| Angular size |
28.5 arcminutes |
| Distance |
5.4 megaparsecs (17 million light years) |
| Radial Velocity |
421 kilometers per second |
| Image Data |
| Photographer |
Fred Lehman |
| Main Scope |
Meade 14" LX200GPS @ f/3.3 (1175mm) |
| Guide Scope |
Celestron 5" SCT @ f/7.5 (950mm) |
| Guide Camera |
SBIG STV |
| Imaging Camera |
Starlight Xpress MX7C |
| Resolution |
780 x 580 @ 1.44 arcseconds per pixel |
| Exposure |
Eight exposures of eight minutes each, captured with
AstroArt. Raw frames aligned, stacked, and processed with AstroPix. |
| Date |
May 22, 2004 |
| Location |
Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central
South Florida. |
