M106 = NGC4258 ( 12h 19.0m +47°18´, 8.3 mag. )
This large spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici was discovered by Mechain in July 1781. It is located over 22 million ly away.
M106 is a beautiful spiral galaxy. The spiral arms end in bright blue knots.
M106 (NGC 4258) is another bright spiral. Burnham doesn't list this object as a Messier, but gives a fine photograph (p 375). The galaxy is six degrees north north-west of beta CVn.
Canes Venatici is the home of spiral galaxy known as M106. It is located about 25 million light-years from Earth and is receding from us at the rate of 537 km/sec. This galaxy is rotated to our line of sight, which gives is an elongated appearance.
M106 (spiral galaxy)
These are the Hunting Dogs (no relation to Orion's dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor) held on a leash by Boötes as he hunts for the bears Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Six other discoveries are "honorary Messier objects" added to the list in the 20th century: M104, M105, M106, M107, M108, M109.
He also discovered NGC 5195, the companion galaxy that makes M51 (AKA the Whirlpool Galaxy) so distinctive.
Keep in mind, the full Moon and the Sun span only about 1/2 a degree across each as seen from Earth. M106 is a spiral galaxy with bright knots, and is magnitude 8.3, about 2 1/2 times brighter than M51 or M94.
the spiral galaxy M63 or the Sunflower Galaxy, a very bright, elongated galaxy with a very condensed centre, lying between M51 and [1321] Cor Caroli, M94 or the SAB galaxy, a spiral galaxy seen head-on and appearing comet-like, and finally M106, ...
Another interesting spiral galaxy is M106 (Sbp). On some photographs it looks like a barred spiral (it may lies somewhere between a normal and a barred spiral).
Messier Object 105 - M105
Messier Object 106 - M106
Messier Object 107 - M107
Messier Object 108 - M108
Messier Object 109 - M109
Messier Object 110 - M110
The Messier Marathon
The Week Long Messier Marathon ...
 See also: Sky, Star, Canes Venatici, Galaxy, M51
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