Messier 106
2026-03-06
| Names | Messier 106, NGC 4258 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 8.38 |
| Size | 16.98' x 7.24' |
| Ra | 12h 20m18.0s |
| Dec | +47°09'21.2" |
Messier 106 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth. M106 contains an active nucleus classified as a Type 2 Seyfert, and the presence of a central supermassive black hole has been demonstrated from radio-wavelength observations of the rotation of a disk of molecular gas orbiting within the inner light-year around the black hole. NGC 4217 is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106. Besides the two visible arms, it has two "anomalous arms" detectable using an X-ray telescope.1
The small galaxy to the bottom right is NGC 4248.
| Telescope | Seestar S-50 |
| Dates | 2026-03-05, 2025-01-10 and 2024-03-16 |
| Integration time | approx 3 hours 35 minutes |