Messier 106
| Messier 106 | |
|---|---|
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Right ascension | 12h 18m 57.5s |
| Declination | +47° 18′ 14″ |
| Redshift | 448 ± 3 km/s |
| Distance | 23.7 ± 1.5 Mly (7 ± 0.5 Mpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 8.4 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(s)bc |
| Size | 151,700 ly (46.53 kpc) (estimated) |
| Apparent size (V) | 18′.6 × 7′.2 |
| Notable features | Megamaser galaxy, Seyfert II galaxy. |
| Other designations | |
| M 106, NGC 4258, UGC 7353, PGC 39600. | |
Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) 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.