I worked quite some time on this project. it isn't that much integration time but it was a struggle to get it. at some nights I only had like 2 hours of data I could capture, at others I had struggle with my equipment.
in the end I am happy with my result and it was a lot of fun to process. I am getting more and more into pixinsight and really enjoying the program.
my goal was to show why m101 is deserving the name firewheel galaxy. for that I extracted the ha and combined it with my rgb data in pixinsight.
thx ChatGPT for the following:
M101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major.Here are some interesting facts about M101:
- M101 is about 21 million light-years away from Earth and has a diameter of approximately 170,000 light-years.
- The galaxy was first discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1784.
- M101 is notable for its striking appearance, with well-defined spiral arms and a bright central bulge.
- The galaxy is home to many young, hot stars, as well as a large number of HII regions, which are areas of ionized gas where new stars are forming.
- M101 is also home to several supernova remnants, including SN 2011fe, which was observed in August 2011.
- Astronomers have estimated that M101 contains at least 1 trillion stars.
- In 2019, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory detected a mysterious bright X-ray source in M101, which may be the result of a black hole consuming a companion star.
- M101 has been extensively studied by astronomers, and is often used as a benchmark for studying the properties and evolution of spiral galaxies.
- The galaxy is easily visible with amateur telescopes, and is a popular target for astrophotography.
- M101 is part of the M101 Group, a group of galaxies that includes several other spiral galaxies and a number of dwarf galaxies.
Comments