Messier 106

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258 ) is a spiral galaxy with dimensions of 18.6 ' x 7.2 ' and the apparent magnitude of 8.30 mag in the constellation hunting dogs.

M106 is a galaxy that is assigned in the Hubble sequence of the type Sbp, where the p for engl. Peculiar, ie is peculiar. Some authors indicate the type also with SABbc, ie between normal spiral and bar - spiral. At a distance of about 24 million light- years, for example, the Ursa Major Group, the Coma- Sculptor group, the Canes Venatici I, the galaxy is in the vicinity of several groups of galaxies, as their member of the galaxy is listed depending on the author, group or the Canes Venatici - II group.

The core of the galaxy is known as active and radio source since the 1950s. In 1995, Brent Tully et al., That the center of a jet discharges, which should be associated with the discovered in the same year massive central object of this galaxy.

Detailed shot of the center, Hubble Space Telescope

Absorption in the far infrared by the Herschel space telescope

Discovery

The galaxy NGC 4258 was discovered in July 1781 by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain.