Messier 106 (M106) and Its Galactic Neighbors
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. ...