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Messier 101

Galaxy in Ursa Major · 21 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationUrsa Major
Distance21 million light-years
Apparent magnitude7.9
Apparent size24′ (arc-minutes)
Also known asM101 · NGC 5457
Messier 101 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 5457) in the constellation Ursa Major — an island of billions of stars far beyond our own Milky Way. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 24 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 7.9, it is an easy target for binoculars and small telescopes.

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