Facts about Messier 106
- 09
Radio observations reveal that Messier 106 contains a massive molecular gas disk rotating around its black holes at distances between 0.13 and 0.65 light-years.
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Stellar populations within Messier 106 span an age range exceeding 10 billion years, revealing complex formation history through ultraviolet and infrared observations.
- 07
Maser emissions from water molecules in Messier 106's accretion disk allowed astronomers to measure distances with unprecedented accuracy, earning the galaxy recognition as a cosmic distance marker for the entire universe.
- 06
Approximately 14 million solar masses concentrate within the central parsec of Messier 106, making its core one of the densest known regions in any nearby galaxy.
- 05
NGC 4258, the catalogued designation for Messier 106, displays anomalous emission lines in its central region indicating outflows of ionized gas traveling at speeds exceeding 1000 kilometers per second.
- 04
Messier 106's spiral disk rotates at velocities exceeding 200 kilometers per second, indicating the presence of substantial dark matter throughout the galaxy.
- 03
Observations at X-ray and radio wavelengths reveal that Messier 106 contains at least two distinct supermassive black holes, making it a rare example of a galactic merger in progress.
- 02
Located approximately 22.7 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, Messier 106 ranks among the nearest active galaxies to Earth.
- 01
Two prominent jets extend from Messier 106's central supermassive black hole, each stretching approximately 130,000 light-years into intergalactic space.