Face on galaxy M 101

Canon 700D attached to telescope: f=750 mm, f/5, ISO=3200, T=100x15 sec.

This galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major is at a distance of ~16 Miljon Ly., has a size of ~170.000 Ly and has a mass of ~100 billion solar masses. It is a bigger galaxy than our own Milkyway.

On a picture like this you only see the bright spiral arms. Most of the mass you don't see here. It is like a picture taken from space of f.i. Germany at night, you only see the bigger cities.