| Names | Messier 106, NGC 4258 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | ≈ 24 million ly |
| Magnitude | 8.4 |
| Size | 17.8′ × 6.9′ |
| RA | 12h 18m 57.6s |
| Dec | +47° 18′ 13″ |
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.
Photo Details
| Telescope | Seestar S50 (250 mm f/5) |
| Dates | 2024-03-16, 2025-01-10, 2026-03-05 |
| Integration time | 3h 35m |