Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  M 106  ·  NGC 4248  ·  NGC 4258
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M106 Galaxy , know also as NGC 4258, Timothy Prospero
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M106 Galaxy , know also as NGC 4258

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M106 Galaxy , know also as NGC 4258, Timothy Prospero
Powered byPixInsight

M106 Galaxy , know also as NGC 4258

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Description

The galaxy M106, also known as NGC 4258, is a spiral galaxy in the constellation of Canis Minor.
It is one of the brightest galaxies observable from Earth and provides a fascinating field of study for astronomers.

Here are some key facts about M106:

Distance and size
M106 is about 23.7 million light-years from Earth. Its impressive size stretches across about 135,000 light-years, making it slightly larger than our own Milky Way.

Structure and properties
Active core
: M106 is known to have an active core and is classified as a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy. This means that its core emits large amounts of energetic radiation, probably due to a supermassive black hole at its centre.
Spiral arms: It has well-defined spiral arms and star-forming zones where new stars continue to be born.
Matter jets: What makes M106 unique is the presence of jets of matter emanating from the centre of the galaxy. These jets are visible in radio waves and X-rays, indicating the activity of its central black hole.
Research and discoveries
Black holes and accretion disks: Observations of M106 have contributed significantly to our understanding of supermassive black holes and the accretion disks that surround them. The galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its centre with an estimated mass of about 36 million times that of the Sun.
Multi-spectral observations: M106 has been studied using a variety of observational tools, from optical to radio and X-ray, allowing scientists to get a complete picture of its structure and activity.
Importance for science

I captured this image of M106 over the course of one night, dedicating approximately 2.0 hours per channel RGB, from Nerpio using my C11HD telescope. It's nothing out of the ordinary... The weather hasn't been great for a while now, as expected.

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M106 Galaxy , know also as NGC 4258, Timothy Prospero