M106 Messier 106 (M106) and neighboring galaxies, including NGC 4217.

M106 Messier 106 (M106) Zoom In.

🌌 Messier 106 (M106)

  • Catalog: Messier 106, NGC 4258
  • Type: Intermediate spiral galaxy (Sbp)
  • Constellation: Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs)
  • Distance: ~22–25 million light-years
  • Apparent Magnitude: ~8.4 (visible with small telescopes)
  • Angular Size: ~19 × 8 arcminutes
  • Actual Diameter: ~135,000 light-years

🔬 Scientific Importance

M106 is classified as a Seyfert II galaxy, known for:

  • A supermassive black hole at its core
  • Anomalous spiral arms visible in radio and X-ray — likely jets of energetic gas
  • Hosting a water maser, used for highly precise cosmological distance measurements

🌠 NGC 4217 — The Edge-On Companion

  • Type: Edge-on spiral galaxy
  • Distance: ~60 million light-years
  • Apparent Magnitude: ~11.7
  • Angular Size: ~5 × 1 arcminutes
  • Orientation: Seen from the side, offering a textbook profile of a spiral galaxy’s disk

❗ Note: NGC 4217 is not physically associated with M106 — it lies in the background and only appears nearby due to line-of-sight coincidence.

✨ What Else is Visible?

This image contains:

  • Multiple background galaxies scattered across the field — some are faint smudges or spiral forms
  • Foreground stars from our Milky Way galaxy, appearing as bright, crisp points

📷 Equipment Used

  • Telescope: TS-Optics 80PHQ (544mm f/6.8 Quintuplet APO)
  • Camera: SVBONY SV605MC (IMX533 Mono)
  • Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro
  • Guiding: Off-Axis Guider with veLOX 178 C
  • Filters: LRGB
  • Software: NINA, PHD2, PixInsight, Photoshop

📝 Final Thoughts

M106 is one of the most fascinating spiral galaxies observable from Earth, offering both visual beauty and rich scientific intrigue. When framed with NGC 4217 and a backdrop of countless distant galaxies, it becomes a perfect target for both astrophotographers and astronomy enthusiasts.

Clear skies!