M101 Composite Image: Spitzer Data (Red Component)
M101, NGC 4547, The Pinwheel Galaxy
21.8 million light-years (6.7 megaparsecs)
This image is 18 arcminutes (114,000 light-years or 35,000 parsecs) wide.
The science team for the Spitzer data include K. Gordon (STScI), C. Engelbracht, G. Rieke, K. Misselt, and J.-D. Smith (University of Arizona), and R. Kennicutt (University of Cambridge).
85 sec/pixel (IRAC and; 200 sec/pixel (MIPS 24 micron)
NASA, Jet Propulsion Lab/Caltech, and K. Gordon (STScI)
Red: 85 sec/pixel (IRAC) and 200 sec/pixel (MIPS 24 micron)
The red color shows Spitzer's view in infrared light. It highlights the heat emitted by dust lanes in the galaxy where stars can form.
