Pinwheel Galaxy
From Peace Station Encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
Also known as M101, the Pinwheel is a gigantic galaxy and one of the best-known examples of grand-design spiral galaxies. The giant spiral disk of stars, dust and gas is 170,000 light-years across or nearly twice the diameter of the Milky Way. The galaxy is estimated to contain at least one trillion stars.
The Pinweel's spiral arms are sprinkled with large regions of star-forming nebulae. These nebulae are areas of intense star formation within molecular hydrogen clouds. Brilliant young clusters of sizzling newborn blue stars trace out the spiral arms. The disk of the galaxy is so thin many more distant galaxies lying behind the foreground galaxy can be seen through it.
