M101, one of the finest examples of a large face-on Sc type spiral.  It 
was discovered in 1781 by P. Mechain.  The distance is approximately 15 
million light years, and the diameter is about 90,000 light years, 
making this one of the larger examples of an Sc spiral.  Three 
supernovae have been recorded in this galaxy, in 1909, 1951, and 1970. 

Object: M101 (NGC 5457)
Coordinates: Right Ascension 14hr 01.4m, Declination +54deg 35m
Constellation: Ursa Major
Size: 22 x 22 minutes of arc
Magnitude: 8

Telescope focal length: 500mm
Telescope aperture: 80mm
Camera: Santa Barbara Instruments ST-6
Exposure: 300s (15 @ 20s)
Observer(s): Dr. Greg Latta and Todd Warner