SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Ron Brooks
Location of Photo:
Erwinna, Pennsylvania, USA Bucks County
Date/Time of photo:
April 7-12, 2026
Equipment:
Telescope: William Optics Pleiades 111 (111 mm aperture, 528 mm focal length) Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro (monochrome) Filters: Antlia V-Pro Broadband (L, R, G, B) and Antlia V-Pro 3 nm H Mount: ZWO AM5 Guiding: William Optics 50mm f/4 Guide + ZWO ASI120MM Mini, ASIAir Plus
Description:
Located approximately 21 million light-years away, M101 spans nearly 170,000 light-years, making it one of the largest spiral galaxies in our local cosmic neighborhood. Its loosely wound arms are rich in young, hot stars, while the warm golden core reveals an older stellar population concentrated around the nucleus. The striking contrast between these stellar populations offers a vivid portrait of galactic evolution in action. Enveloping M101 is a vast network of faint Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) - tenuous interstellar dust clouds within our own Milky Way, illuminated only by the combined light of the galaxy’s stars.
