Posted on 10/13/2025 12:53:13 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: One of the last entries in Charles Messier's famous catalog, big, beautiful spiral galaxy M101 is 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 Galaxy. M101 was also one of the original spiral nebulae observed with Lord Rosse's large 19th century telescope, the Leviathan of Parsontown. In contrast, this multiwavelength view of the large island universe is a composite of images recorded by space-based telescopes in the 21st century. Color coded from X-rays to infrared wavelengths (high to low energies), the image data was taken from the Chandra X-ray Observatory (purple), the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( blue), Hubble Space Telescope(yellow), and the Spitzer Space Telescope(red). While the X-ray data trace the location of multimillion degree gas around M101's exploded stars and neutron star and black hole binary star systems, the lower energy data follow the stars and dust that define M101's grand spiral arms. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, M101 lies within the boundaries of the northern constellation Ursa Major, about 25 million light-years away.
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.
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I like the one where the one degree picture of the universe shows thousands of galaxies.
I like that one too. I wish they would do more, just pointed in different directions.
Can you imagine a 360deg image? Like the whole universe seen all around? Like being inside a sphere and seeing it all?
A lot would be blocked by our own Milky Way galaxy, especially toward the galaxy center. But much could be observed between obstructions.
Sumpthin like this only on universe level.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4344504/posts?page=7#7
I was thinking the Webb ‘scope way out in space.
Very pretty!
Thanks!
I saw 3 flying pigs in my back yard yesterday!
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