While the name Pinwheel Galaxy can refer to M33 in Triangulum and other open spirals, it is the most common moniker for M101 (NGC 5457) in Ursa Major. Located near Alkaid (Eta [η] Ursae Majoris) at ...

When a massive star dies, it goes out with a bang, creating a stunningly bright explosion that can temporarily change the look of the night sky. The brightest and closest may be visible with the naked ...

Attention all astronomers! There is a new Type Ia supernova that has been seen in the nearby spiral galaxy M101, and it’s very young – currently only about a day old! This is very exciting news; ...

StarStuff image This celestial stunner is M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, an enormous stellar city over 170,000 light-years across, making it almost twice the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. Located ...