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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Messier 101
NASA ^ | 16 May, 2025 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CFHT, NOAO; Acknowledgement - K.Kuntz (GSFC), F.Bresolin (U.Hawaii), J.Trau

Posted on 05/16/2025 12:01:45 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Big, beautiful spiral galaxy M101 is one of the last entries in Charles Messier's famous catalog, but definitely not one of the least. About 170,000 light-years across, this galaxy is enormous, almost twice the size of our own Milky Way. M101 was also one of the original spiral nebulae observed by Lord Rosse's large 19th century telescope, the Leviathan of Parsontown. Assembled from 51 exposures recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope in the 20th and 21st centuries, with additional data from ground based telescopes, this mosaic spans about 40,000 light-years across the central region of M101 in one of the highest definition spiral galaxy portraits ever released from Hubble. The sharp image shows stunning features of the galaxy's face-on disk of stars and dust along with background galaxies, some visible right through M101 itself. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, M101 lies within the boundaries of the northern constellation Ursa Major, about 25 million light-years away.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 05/16/2025 12:01:45 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 05/16/2025 12:02:03 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 05/16/2025 12:03:14 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Wow - I wonder how many planets are in there - new worlds and peoples ....


4 posted on 05/16/2025 12:05:36 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: MtnClimber

Nice!


5 posted on 05/16/2025 12:19:26 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: SkyDancer

I pray there are no leftists in that galaxy. Our galaxy has more than enough.


6 posted on 05/16/2025 12:19:38 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

In other galaxies, they’re called idiots.


7 posted on 05/16/2025 12:24:23 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Telepathic Intruder
In other galaxies, they’re called idiots.

In ours too.

8 posted on 05/16/2025 12:28:41 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

They’re isolated to this dust ball ... the rest of the universe is free and clean.


9 posted on 05/16/2025 12:42:04 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: MtnClimber

If it’s even bigger than our Milky Way, how can there NOT be human life there, too?

Maybe we were a prototype; ‘set it and forget it’ and see what happens? ;)


10 posted on 05/16/2025 12:47:11 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: MtnClimber

God’s Pinwheel.


11 posted on 05/16/2025 1:12:07 PM PDT by Gasshog (x, marks my spot)
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To: MtnClimber

Regarding light-years:

Far smarter brains than mine have probably posted a light-year’s distance in miles, but I only recently stumbled on it. A light year is around 5.88 TRILLION miles. Way, way, way beyond my comprehension.

Although I will say in my defense that some of the family road trips when I was growing up SEEMED to be trillions of miles long . . . :-)


12 posted on 05/16/2025 2:09:04 PM PDT by AFB-XYZ (( We have two options: 1. Stand up, or 2. Bend over))
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Maybe we were a prototype; ‘set it and forget it’ and see what happens? ;)

Or, maybe there are billions of civilizations out there that have already had their individual experiences with God, Jesus, etc.? Maybe, or maybe not. But a fascinating idea to contemplate nonetheless.

13 posted on 05/16/2025 2:11:29 PM PDT by AFB-XYZ (( We have two options: 1. Stand up, or 2. Bend over))
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To: MtnClimber

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19:1 KJV


14 posted on 05/16/2025 4:47:08 PM PDT by P8riot (You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.)
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To: MtnClimber

Wow.


15 posted on 05/16/2025 5:43:32 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: AFB-XYZ

Our whole existence is basically God’s Crock Pot. ‘Set it and Forget it.’

Can’t wait to have all revealed when I shed this Mortal Coil.

But, just in case that God is reading FR: I can wait a little while yet! :)


16 posted on 05/16/2025 7:18:33 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: P8riot

“Son Fils unique,” God’s only Son, died on the cross.
There are no other crosses. We are not a “Prototype.”


17 posted on 05/16/2025 7:27:16 PM PDT by BatGuano (Quantus Tremor Est futurus.)
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