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

A high-resolution black and white photograph of the Moon’s surface. 🌕 Overview Object: The Moon (Earth’s natural satellite) Phase: Waxing Gibbous (near full) Distance from Earth: ~384,400 km Apparent Size: ~0.5° in the night sky Size on Image: The Moon dominates the frame, with excellent detail and contrast 🧭 Visible Lunar Features This image shows major lunar surface features, including: Mare Imbrium: The large dark sea in the upper left Mare Serenitatis & Mare Tranquillitatis: North and east of center Tycho Crater: Bright crater with rays in the southern region Copernicus Crater: Near center-left with visible ejecta Craters and Highlands: Numerous small craters and bright highland regions Rayed Systems: Light ejecta trails radiating from impact sites 🧠 Fun Facts The Moon has no atmosphere, allowing such crisp shadows and contrast The dark areas (maria) are ancient volcanic plains The bright streaks around Tycho and Copernicus are ejecta rays from relatively recent impacts 📷 Equipment Used Telescope: TS-Optics 80PHQ (544mm f/6.8 Quintuplet APO) Camera: SVBONY SV605MC (IMX533 Mono) Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro Exposure: Short to avoid overexposing bright lunar surface Software: SharpCap or FireCapture for acquisition, stacked in AutoStakkert, processed in Photoshop or PixInsight 📝 Final Thoughts Photographing the Moon is always rewarding. Unlike deep-sky objects, it requires short exposures and high resolution to capture fine surface detail. The lack of atmosphere on the Moon creates sharp shadows, enhancing the visibility of craters and rilles. ...