About Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

Pinwheel Galaxy is frequently observed by amateur astronomers and shows up as a faint patch of light. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 19° altitude and reaches 36° around 01:50 AM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 4 hours.

Galaxies are sensitive to light pollution, contrast improves away from light pollution.

Observing tips

It requires patience and good conditions.

What to expect

At higher magnification, subtle detail can be detected.

It appears more compact than typical clusters.

Type

Spiral Galaxy

Constellation

Ursa Major

Distance

27000000 ly

Size

27.0' x 26.0'

Season

Spring

Difficulty

Very Hard

Magnitude

7.9