High in the northern sky, just a little above the handle of the “Big Dipper,” is the grand spiral galaxy M101. As we can see it face-on, M101 is one of several galaxies sometimes called the “Pinwheel Galaxy.” M101 is a large galaxy, nearly twice the size of the Milky Way, and is estimated to be about 27 million light years away. Despite being so large and having a magnitude of 7.86, M101 appears quite diffuse and so isn’t an easy target for smaller telescopes. But if you have dark skies and a nice big Dob, this pinwheel is worth checking out.
