Messier 101
Messier 101
Messier 101 is a classic, face-on, pinwheel spiral galaxy.
This stunning view of M101, also known as the Pinwheel galaxy, is one of the largest images Hubble has captured of a spiral galaxy. Assembled from 51 exposures taken during various studies over nearly ten years, this infrared and visible-light image measures 16,000 by 12,000 pixels. Ground-based images were used to fill in the portions of the galaxy that Hubble did not observe. The heart of Messier 101, or the Pinwheel Galaxy, shines in this image that combines data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. At 25 million light-years away, M101 is one of the closest “face-on” spiral galaxies to us. With that in mind, Hubble’s ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared data were taken as part of studies to find out more about its stellar population and galactic structure. Webb’s near- and mid-infrared observations helped astronomers study the formation and evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – which are complex, carbon-based molecules, and the smallest dust grains that glow in infrared light.
Credits
NASA, CSA, ESA, D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts - Amherst), C. Clark (Space Telescope Science Institute - ESA - JWST), K. Kuntz (The John Hopkins University), . Trauger (Jet Propulsion Lab),J. Mould (NOAO), Y.-H. Chu (University of Illinois, Urbana),STScI; CFHT Image: Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/J.-C. Cuillandre/Coelum, NOAO Image: G. Jacoby, B. Bohannan, M. Hanna/NOAO/AURA/NSF and B. Shappee (University of Hawaii), F. Bresolin (University of Hawaii) ; Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America); HST + JWST Image: NASA, CSA, ESA, D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts - Amherst), ****
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Editor
- Mark Malanoski (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
Missions
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This page was originally published on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 11:13 AM EDT.