In addition to a supermassive black hole in its centre, which is 40 million times as massive as the Sun, this fascinating spiral galaxy contains an active nucleus – a compact region that emits luminosity not produced by the stars. It’s also a home of two recent supernovae, observed in 1981 and 2014.
M106 can be found in the Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs) constellation, along with many other galaxies that all fit neatly into the field of view of my 478 mm-long telescope connected to a full-frame camera. NGC4217, seen from the edge in the top right part of the image, is a possible companion of M106. It’s located 60 million light-years away from us.
This photo is a 4.5-hr, f/5.9 LRGBH exposure, collected over two nights in the beginning of May 2025. The light from M106 took 24 million years to reach my yard in Victoria, BC.
