The Spiral Galaxy M 100
An image of the grand design spiral galaxy Messier 100 obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope resolves individual stars within the majestic spiral arms. Messier 100 (100th object in the Messier catalog of non-stellar objects) is a face-on spiral galaxy. It is a rotating system of gas and stars, similar to our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Hubble routinely can view M100 with a level of clarity and sensitivity previously possible only for very few nearby galaxies. M100 is a member of the huge Virgo cluster of an estimated 2,500 galaxies. The galaxy can be seen by amateur astronomers as a faint, pinwheel-shaped object in the spring constellation Coma Berenices.
An image of the grand design of spiral galaxy M100 obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope resolves individual stars within the majestic spiral arms. (These stars typically appeared blurred together when viewed with ground-based telescopes).
Credit:About the Image
About the Object
Name: | M 100, Messier 100, NGC 4321 |
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Type: | Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral |
Distance: | 50 million light years |
Constellation: | Coma Berenices |
Category: | Galaxies |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 12 22 56.57 |
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Position (Dec): | 15° 49' 16.68" |
Field of view: | 2.49 x 2.47 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 25.8° left of vertical |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
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Optical B | 439 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
Optical R | 702 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |