Messier 106 (M106)

Bright spiral with an unusually active core and wispy anomalous arms visible in radio.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Its extra arms are jets of gas heated by the black hole, seen only outside visible light.
• The central black hole, about 40 million solar masses, is unusually massive for so small a galaxy.
• A 2016 analysis identified it as a key calibrator of the cosmic distance ladder.

Specifications & Metrics

• GALAXY TYPE: Spiral (SAbc)
• DISTANCE: ~24 million light-years