Spiral galaxy M106. Optical image of the spiral galaxy M106 (NGC 4258), around 25 million light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. North

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Spiral galaxy M106. Optical image of the spiral galaxy M106 (NGC 4258), around 25 million light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. North is at top. It is seen at an angle, revealing dark lanes of dust in its two main arms. The blue light of the arms comes from young hot stars, while the yellow light indicates older stars towards the centre. M106 is around 30,000 light years across. This galaxy has an active centre, thought to contain a large black hole, that makes it visible to radio telescopes. The faint galaxy, seen edge-on at upper right, is NGC 4248.

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Size: 4859px × 4170px
Photo credit: © MPIA-HD, BIRKLE, SLAWIK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 4248, 4258, active, arm, arms, astronomy, astrophysics, black, canes, cosmology, faint, galactic, galaxies, galaxy, hole, holes, m106, ngc, optical, radio, science, spiral, star, stars, venatici