Deep in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, lies a magnificent spiral galaxy known as Messier 109. While it shares the iconic spiral arms of our Milky Way, M109 boasts a collection of unique characteristics that have captured the imagination of astronomers for decades. A Galactic Portrait: Unveiling Messier 109's Characteristics Distance: Roughly 67.2 million light-years separate us from this celestial marvel. Type: Classified as an SB(rs)bc galaxy, M109 is a barred spiral. This means it has a central bulge containing a bar-shaped structure surrounded by a disk of stars and gas that winds outwards in spiral arms. Size and Mass: While the exact size and mass of M109 are challenging to determine for distant galaxies, estimates suggest it has a diameter of approximately 180,000 light-years and harbors roughly 1 trillion stars. Warped Disk: One of M109's most striking features is its warped disk. Unlike the flat, symmetrical disks often depicted, M109's disk exhibits ...
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