Galaxy · Barred spiral
M106
M106 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Canes Venatici, 23.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 23.5 million light-years (7.20 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 130,500 light-years · 1.5 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.30 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 7.99 |
| Luminosity | 1.4 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 18m 57.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +47° 18′ 14″ |
| Source | Compiled catalogue (NED, approximate values) |
In the sky
Too faint for the naked eye (magnitude 7.99); binoculars will find it. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 43° S. North of latitude 43° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in March, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 23 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 416.6 billion years.