1 min read
Spiral Galaxy M101 – NASA’s Great Observatories
The galaxy Messier 101 is a swirling spiral of stars, gas, and dust. Messier 101 is nearly twice as wide as our Milky Way Galaxy.
Spitzer's view [left frame], taken in infrared light, reveals the galaxy's delicate dust lanes as yellow-green filaments. Such dense dust clouds are where new stars can form. In this image, dust warmed by the light of hot, young stars glows red. The rest of the galaxy's hundreds of billions of stars are less prominent and form a blue haze. Astronomers can use infrared light to examine the dust clouds where stars are born.
Messier 101 has a pancake-like shape that we view face-on. This perspective shows off the spiral structure that gives it the nickname the Pinwheel Galaxy. In this Hubble image [middle frame], taken in visible light, the bright blue clumps are regions where new stars have formed. The yellowish core consists mainly of old stars. The dark brown dust lanes are colder and denser regions where interstellar clouds may collapse to form new stars. All of these features are shaped into a beautiful spiral pattern by a combination of gravity and rotation. Astronomers use visible light to study where and how stars form in spiral galaxies.
Chandra's image of Messier 101 [right frame], taken in X-ray light, shows the high- energy features of this spiral galaxy. X-rays are generally created in violent and/or high- temperature events. The white dots are X-ray sources that include the remains of exploded stars as well as material colliding at extreme speeds around black holes. The pink and blue colors are emission from million-degree gas and from clusters of massive stars. The pink emission indicates lower-energy X-rays and the blue higher-energy X- rays. One reason astronomers study Messier 101's X-rays is to better understand how black holes grow in spiral galaxies.
The International Year of Astronomy Great Observatories Image Unveiling is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Division. The project is a collaboration between the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Spitzer Science Center, and the Chandra X-ray Center.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.14h 3m 13.0s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.54° 20' 52.99"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Ursa Major
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.21.8 million light-years (6.7 megaparsecs)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.This image is 18 arcminutes (114,000 light-years or 35,000 parsecs) wide.
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.Spitzer data (left): The science team for the Spitzer data include K. Gordon (STScI), C. Engelbracht, G. Rieke, K. Misselt, and J.-D. Smith (University of Arizona), and R. Kennicutt (University of Cambridge). Hubble data (center): This image was created from HST data from the following proposals: 9490: K. Kuntz (Johns Hopkins University) 9492: F. Bresolin (University of Hawaii) 5210: J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) 5397: J. Mould (NOAO) 6829: Y.-C. Chu (University of Illinois, Urbana) The Hubble exposures have been superimposed onto ground-based images, visible at the edge of the image, taken at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii, and at the 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Arizona. Chandra data (right): The science team was led by K. Kuntz (Johns Hopkins University). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.Spitzer>IRAC, Spitzer>MIPS, HST>ACS/WFC, HST>WFPC2, and CXO>ACIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.Mar 8, 2004 and May 10/11, 2004 (Spitzer), March 1994, September 1994, June 1999, November 2002, and January 2003 (HST), and March 2000 - January 2005 (CXO)
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.Spitzer: 85 sec/pixel (IRAC) and 200 sec/pixel (MIPS 24 micron) HST: F435W (B), F555W (V)), and F814W (I) CXO Energies: 0.45 - 1.00 keV and 1.00 - 2.00 keV
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.M101, NGC 4547, The Pinwheel Galaxy
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Face-on Spiral Galaxy
- Release DateFebruary 10, 2009
- Science ReleaseNASA’s Great Observatories Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy with a National Unveiling of Spectacular Images
- Credits
Related Images & Videos
NASA's Great Observatories Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy
In 1609, Galileo improved the newly invented telescope, turned it toward the heavens, and revolutionized our view of the universe. In celebration of the 400th anniversary of this milestone, 2009 has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy. Today, NASA's Great...
Spitzer-Hubble-Chandra Composite of M101
This image of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 is a composite of views from the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. Each wavelength region shows different aspects of celestial objects and often reveals new objects that could not otherwise...
Spitzer Image of M101
The galaxy Messier 101 is a swirling spiral of stars, gas, and dust. Messier 101 is nearly twice as wide as our Milky Way galaxy. Spitzer's view, taken in infrared light, reveals the galaxy's delicate dust lanes as yellow-green filaments. Such dense dust clouds are where new...
Hubble Image of M101
Messier 101 has a pancake-like shape that we view face-on. This perspective shows off the spiral structure that gives it the nickname the Pinwheel Galaxy. In this Hubble image, taken in visible light, the bright blue clumps are regions where new stars have formed. The yellowish...
Chandra Image of M101
Chandra's image of Messier 101, taken in X-ray light, shows the high-energy features of this spiral galaxy. X-rays are generally created in violent and/or high-temperature events. The white dots are X-ray sources that include the remains of exploded stars as well as material...
Construction of the Great Observatories M101 Image
These steps combine data from NASA's three Great Observatories into a single color composite image. At the left are separate images from three different regions of infrared light from the Spitzer Space Telescope, three images from different regions of visible light from the...
Construction of the Individual Great Observatories M101 Images
These steps combine data from each of NASA's three Great Observatories into a separate color composite image. At the left are separate images from three different regions of infrared light from the Spitzer Space Telescope (top), three images from different regions of visible...
Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of Hot Gas and Star Birth in M101
Messier 101 (also known as NGC 5457) is a stunning face-on spiral galaxy about 22 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Ursa Major. Hubble's visible-light view shows off luminous swirling spirals of bright stars and glowing gas that give M101 a classic...
NASA Celebrates Start of International Year of Astronomy with Messier 101 Composite
To help kick off 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, NASA's Great Observatories are releasing a series of images at over 100 planetariums, museums, nature centers, and schools across the country. The telescopes set their sights on one galaxy in particular, Messier 101,...
NASA Celebrates Start of International Year of Astronomy with Messier 101 Composite (Annotated)
To help kick off 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy, NASA's Great Observatories are releasing a series of images at over 100 planetariums, museums, nature centers, and schools across the country. The telescopes set their sights on one galaxy in particular, Messier 101,...
Share
Details
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
